It has been 31 years since a United States astronaut last walked on the moon, but China’s space ambitions may have prompted a possible American return to the lunar surface as part of a renewed space programme. Reports say US President George W. Bush is on the verge of calling for a return to the moon as part of a dramatic new mission for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). CNN, quoting sources, said yesterday that although a lunar date had not yet been embraced by the White House, China’s first manned space flight in October and its talk of a future landing on the moon within the next two decades may end up being the spark to reignite the US space programme.