NASA warns that China is pursuing military programs in space under the guise of civilian exploration

NASA has warned that China could prepare for a moon takeover in the coming years, using its civilian space program as a disguise for military operations.

Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, fears that the Asian country’s “extraordinary progress” in the past decade is not just for science, but also for exert dominance over the moon.

China has launched a spacecraft to the moon and brought samples back to Earth, has its own space station orbiting the planet and is looking forward to 2030, when it will send humans to the natural satellite.

While NASA plans to land humans on the moon’s south pole in 2026, Nelson has expressed concern that China has the capabilities to beat them there.

China plans to land humans on the moon by 2030 and aims to establish a lunar presence within the next five years

“China has made extraordinary progress, especially in the last decade, but they are very secretive about it,” Nelson told members of the House Appropriations Committee at a meeting at the U.S. House of Representatives. Hearing on the 2024 budget.

“We believe that many of their so-called civilian space programs are a military program,” Nelson continued. “And I think we’re actually in a race.”

Nelson made statements before a committee this week in support of why NASA needs a $25.4 billion budget for 2025.

The country plans to establish a landing base on the lunar surface within the next five years, making it all the more necessary for the US to increase its efforts and investments to send astronauts to space.

“Their latest date that they’ve said they’re going to land is 2030, but that keeps going up,” Nelson said.

“Their science is good, their engineering is good, and the proof is in the pudding: They have a space station there now,” Nelson added.

He noted that a lot of his concerns stem from the close ties of China’s space programs to the People’s Liberation Army – a military branch of the Communist Party.

“My concern would be if China got there first and suddenly said, ‘OK, this is our territory, stay out,’” Nelson said.

China was forced to build its own space station (pictured) after being excluded from the International Space Station in 2011 due to US concerns that Beijing’s space programs were linked to the People’s Liberation Army – an arm of the Communist Party

Nelson compared the race with China to that of the Soviet Union in 1958, when both countries competed to land the first man on the moon – but the US remains the only country to have put boots on the lunar surface.

“China has made aggressive investments in both deep space exploration and low Earth orbit,” Nelson said, adding that “financing is critical to ensuring the United States remains the international leader in space.”

Nelson argued that if anyone doubts his warning, they should look at Beijing’s involvement in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which are claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and China.

The Spratly Islands are highly coveted for their rich natural resources and abundant fishing grounds, but China has continually sought to exert dominance over other countries and claims it owns the lion’s share of the territory.

Nelson claimed that China will try to pull off a similar stunt in space and while they could try to take control of the moon, the US would use the landing for practical purposes.

According to Nelson, the US will use the landing to predict floods and droughts, watch for deforestation or trees prone to fire and alert officials to prevent wildfires.

“And so I think it is our duty to get there first and use our research efforts for peaceful purposes,” he added.