NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told Politico in an interview published on Jan. 1 that Beijing could establish a foothold and try to dominate the most resource-rich locations on the lunar surface — or even keep the U.S. out. “It is a fact: we’re in a space race,” he claimed. “And it is true that we better watch out that they don’t get to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research. And it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they say, ‘Keep out, we’re here, this is our territory.’”
What he failed to say, is that the US is in a space race, because it refuses to cooperate with China in space. This was first codified into law by Congress in 2011 and remains so today. Besides, what is the job of the US military Space Force but to deny access to space, or at least certain parts of it, to powers deemed to be hostile to the geopolitical objectives of the US?
Politico notes that the U.S. military has also expressed growing concerns about Beijing’s development of space systems that could “threaten” U.S. satellites, and has been sounding the alarm about the alleged security implications of Beijing’s forays into deep space. “It’s entirely possible they could catch up and surpass us, absolutely,” Space Force Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno said last month during a visit to Australia as China was launching its 10th crew to its Shenzhou space station. “The progress they’ve made has been stunning — stunningly fast.”
