China is hiding secret military activities in space, NASA chief Bill Nelson has claimed.
“We believe that a large part of their so-called civilian space program is a military program,” he told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
“China has made extraordinary progress, especially in the last ten years, but it remains very, very secretive,” he said.
THE NASA administrator was testifying at a committee hearing to approve the U.S. space agency’s £20.3 billion ($25.4 billion) budget request for 2025.
He was asked by committee chairman Hal Rogers about China’s “very significant investments” in their space programs and how NASA would maintain its “advantage” over China.
“We’re in a race,” Mr. Nelson replied.
“The last date they said they were going to land [on the moon] it’s 2030, but it’s still increasing.
“It’s up to us to get there first and use our research efforts for peaceful purposes,” Nelson said.
He then told committee members that China could claim parts of space as its own territory if it lands on the Moon first.
“What would worry me would be if China came in first and said, ‘This is our territory, stay out.’
“Obviously you don’t want to interfere with each other, but don’t suddenly declare all this territory yours,” he said.
He used China continues to lay claim to the Spratly Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea.as an example of a superpower claiming territory.
The Artemis Accords are an agreement that requires space activities to be carried out for peaceful purposes and has been signed by more than 40 countries, including the United Kingdom.
China has not signed these agreements.
“I hope China’s space program comes to its senses and understands that civilian space is for peaceful uses, but we haven’t seen that demonstrated,” Nelson said.
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China now has 499 satellites in orbit, according to the United States Defense Intelligence Agency. This is more than double its 2019 figure.
It is also developing its spy balloons and hypersonic missiles.
“We have to be realistic: China is investing a lot of money in [it’s space programme] and they still have a lot of room to grow,” Nelson said.
“Their science is good, their engineering is good and the proof is in the pudding. They have a space station up there now.”
China’s Tiangong space station is permanently manned and was built over three missions in 2021 and 2022. It was completed on November 5, 2022.
Beijing hopes to send a manned mission to the Moon and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.
In May last year, a Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth after nearly a year in orbitspending 276 days in space.
State media said the uncrewed spacecraft had returned to the Jiuquan launch center in northwest China as planned.
It was first launched in early August 2022 – however, no details were given on what the spacecraft was, what technologies were tested and how high it flew in space.
China is hiding secret military activities in space, NASA chief Bill Nelson has claimed.
“We believe that a large part of their so-called civilian space program is a military program,” he told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
“China has made extraordinary progress, especially in the last ten years, but it remains very, very secretive,” he said.
THE NASA administrator was testifying at a committee hearing to approve the U.S. space agency’s £20.3 billion ($25.4 billion) budget request for 2025.
He was asked by committee chairman Hal Rogers about China’s “very significant investments” in their space programs and how NASA would maintain its “advantage” over China.
“We’re in a race,” Mr. Nelson replied.
“The last date they said they were going to land [on the moon] it’s 2030, but it’s still increasing.
“It’s up to us to get there first and use our research efforts for peaceful purposes,” Nelson said.
He then told committee members that China could claim parts of space as its own territory if it lands on the Moon first.
“What would worry me would be if China came in first and said, ‘This is our territory, stay out.’
“Obviously you don’t want to interfere with each other, but don’t suddenly declare all this territory yours,” he said.
He used China continues to lay claim to the Spratly Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea.as an example of a superpower claiming territory.
The Artemis Accords are an agreement that requires space activities to be carried out for peaceful purposes and has been signed by more than 40 countries, including the United Kingdom.
China has not signed these agreements.
“I hope China’s space program comes to its senses and understands that civilian space is for peaceful uses, but we haven’t seen that demonstrated,” Nelson said.
Read more on Sky News:
The Moon will have its own time zone
Mysterious object crashes into house
China now has 499 satellites in orbit, according to the United States Defense Intelligence Agency. This is more than double its 2019 figure.
It is also developing its spy balloons and hypersonic missiles.
“We have to be realistic: China is investing a lot of money in [it’s space programme] and they still have a lot of room to grow,” Nelson said.
“Their science is good, their engineering is good and the proof is in the pudding. They have a space station up there now.”
China’s Tiangong space station is permanently manned and was built over three missions in 2021 and 2022. It was completed on November 5, 2022.
Beijing hopes to send a manned mission to the Moon and plans to build a base on the lunar surface.
In May last year, a Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth after nearly a year in orbitspending 276 days in space.
State media said the uncrewed spacecraft had returned to the Jiuquan launch center in northwest China as planned.
It was first launched in early August 2022 – however, no details were given on what the spacecraft was, what technologies were tested and how high it flew in space.