China is discreetly strengthening its military space capabilities while striving to appear like a civilian enterprise, denounces the director of NASA. He is also worried that China will take possession of the Moon by sending astronauts there before the United States.
Tl;dr
- China is accused of disguising a military space program.
- The space race between the United States and China is intensifying.
- NASA postpones its next missions to the Moon and Mars.
- NASA budgets are the subject of criticism and cuts.
A space competition against a backdrop of suspicions
According to Bill Nelson, the head of NASA, the Chinese space organization “actually hides a military program under the cover of a civilian program”. This space program has reportedly made significant progress, particularly over the last decade, further fueling concerns.
The bitterness of the loss of leadership
Cornered by pressure, Nelson expressed his dismay before the House of Representatives during the debate on the annual budget of the American space agency. “I fear China will get there first and suddenly proclaim it’s their territory”, he said of the moon. It is of paramount importance that an American astronaut manages to land before a Chinese one does.
Worry materializes
NASA is falling behind in this space competition. She announced in January the postponement for one year of the next two missions of the return to the Moon program, Artemis. One of the main factors for this delay is the increase in necessary safety checks, particularly on the capsule’s heat shield.
China prepares its attack
At the same time, China has already sent its first astronaut, constant teams maintain a presence on the Tiangong-2 space station and have succeeded in landing a machine on the far side of the Moon. China also sent a robot to the surface of Mars, demonstrating its determination and technological capability in space exploration.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the space Cold War between the United States and China is far from over. It’s a confrontation that could shape the future of the world as we know it.
