Harrison Schmitt, the most-recent living man to walk on the moon, says China is poised to beat the U.S. in returning humans to the lunar surface, dealing a crushing blow to the American psyche and business prospects, unless Congress authorizes a game-changing shakeup at NASA.

Schmitt, 83, sees returning to the moon as more than a national vanity project. He fears U.S. leadership would suffer on Earth if China lands a man first, with American energy firms losing an edge in exploiting rare resources and ultimately colonizing the lunar surface.