NASA chief Bill Nelson said China disguises a military space program under the appearance of a civilian program. He said he was “worried’ that China would claim the Moon as its territory if it were to land there soon.
The United States plans to land astronauts on the Moon in 2026 with their Artemis 3 mission, and China also plans to send humans there by 2030. Nelson was heard by American elected officials on the occasion of the request for an annual budget for the American space agency. The U.S. is now engaged in a “race” with Beijing, he said. He stressed that the United States must succeed in landing on the moon before China does. He added: “I think we really shouldn't let our guard down. China is investing a lot of money in this. The United States is planning a mission to the Moon by 2026, with a goal of landing astronauts on it by 2030, while China plans to do the same.