NASA Director: China Attempts to Conceal its Military Missions in Space
According to Bill Nelson, NASA's Administrator, China could completely take control of the moon if it gets there first.
Bill Nelson recently discussed before American lawmakers that China could be disguising its military presence in space as civilian missions, as reported by The Guardian. The American space agency's chief also mentioned that China is significantly secretive about its activities in outer space, which serves as a serious warning to the United States that there is a fierce competition ongoing, urging Washington to remain vigilant.
"China has made extraordinary advancements, especially in the last decade," Bill Nelson highlighted. He believes that the majority of the civil space program might serve military purposes. He hopes that Beijing will come to realize that civil space exploration truly serves peaceful objectives, however, he currently sees no sign of this realization.
Nelson suggests that the United States need to land on the Moon again, and before China does. He fears that if China succeeds first, it could claim ownership of the lunar body and prevent America from landing there. This could pose a significant problem, as the Moon's resources could aid in sending humans to Mars.
NASA plans to send humans to the Moon in 2026 as part of the Artemis III mission. China aims to achieve this by 2030.