NASA boss Bill Nelson has warned about the Chinese space program. “We should be very concerned about China landing on the moon and saying, ‘This is ours now and stay away,'” he said, adding: “China’s space program is a military space program.” Unlike the US Artemis program, the Chinese are not willing to share their research results and use the moon together.
“There is a new race to space – this time with China,” Nelson told Bild newspaper on Saturday. China is working on putting its own astronauts on the moon. The People’s Republic has landed on the surface of the moon several times with research robots, and has also successfully returned moon rocks to Earth. According to Chinese state media reports, a permanent station on the moon will be built in the next step in the 2030s. The research station could thus be set up and operated together with Russia.
Allegations of destruction and theft
When asked what military purposes China might have in space, Nelson replied, “Well, what do you think is happening on the Chinese space station? There they learn how to destroy other people’s satellites.” Nelson also lamented China’s technology theft: “China is good. But China is also good because they steal ideas and technology from others.”
American astronauts will soon return to the moon
With the “Artemis” program, the American space agency wants to return American astronauts to the moon – at the earliest in 2025. Then a rover must also be included and outposts must also be built on the moon and in its orbit. The last time an American astronaut walked on the moon was almost exactly 50 years ago. Between 1969 and 1972, the US was the only country to take a total of 12 astronauts to the moon on the “Apollo” missions.
Beijing wants to compete in space with the US. The construction of the first own space station “Tiangong” (heavenly palace) is therefore accelerated. The People’s Republic has invested billions in its space program and has already had some successes. China was the first country to land a spacecraft and exploration rover on the dark side of the moon.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
