Toni Dimaano Science 01.03.2023 00:Jan AM EST

NASA Chief Expresses Concern That China Could Claim The Moon As Its Land Territory

Between the United States and China, the race to the moon is becoming more competitive, and the outcome could be decided within the next two years.

According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Beijing may try to take control of the most resource-rich areas of the lunar surface and even keep the US out.

Nelson Says That This Concern Is a Real Possibility In The Future

According to Interesting Engineering, China has launched orbiters, landers, and rovers that have landed on the Moon and Mars just in the past few years.

Officials worry that the China National Space Administration is advancing too swiftly, which only fuels their worries.

With its progress speed, It is possible that it will surpass the optimistic targets NASA set for the current Artemis project.

Nelson also referenced Chinese aggressiveness over islands in the South China Sea, where Beijing has built military outposts, as another evidence of the country's territorial aspirations.

This is based on previously released aerial photos that indicate new military facilities on the Spratly Islands, a contentious group of islands in the South China Sea, Business Insider writes.

Nelson made his remarks after NASA's 26-day Artemis I mission, during which an unmanned Orion spacecraft circled the moon.

That mission, which was a success, was the first significant step in the agency's goal to send astronauts to the moon in 2025 to start establishing a more permanent human presence there.

Additionally, it follows the approval by Congress of a full-year budget for NASA, which did not include all the funds that was asked, but Nelson insisted that the "have to haves" were not underfunded.

That also covers the essential elements for the next Artemis II and Artemis III moon missions, as per a report by Politico.

China's Growing Space Programs Is Becoming More Ambitious

It is important to note that China just finished building the Tiangong space station, and in November, a team of taikonauts was launched in its direction.

In the course of its Chang'e lunar program, Beijing wants to send three missions to the moon into space over the course of the next ten years.

According to Business Insider, this comes after the Chinese government announced it had found a new lunar mineral that could be utilized as a source of energy.

China's government also unveiled its plans in December for more ambitious projects like setting up a system for space governance and building infrastructure there.

The American program, which depends on numerous upcoming new systems and apparatus, runs the risk of falling behind the Chinese if there are any significant delays or hiccups.

This is not a good implication considering that NASA's moon landing time has already been delayed for a year from the Trump administration, Polito details.

Beijing has launched a number of robotic rovers and landers over the past several years, including one that landed on the far side of the moon for the first time ever.

It has also sent an orbiter, lander, and rover that reached Mars to collect samples from the moon and Mars.