NASA administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the importance of the United States returning to the moon before China during a recent interview with NPR’s Scott Detrow. Nelson highlighted the need to prevent China from staking a claim on the moon, citing their unilateral actions in the South China Sea as a concern.
Nelson expressed his view that the moon’s South Pole, believed to contain valuable resources such as water for rocket fuel, should be accessible for international scientific research rather than controlled by a single country. He also criticized China for its lack of transparency and unwillingness to share information with other nations.
In response to China’s advancements in lunar exploration, including the recent launch of a probe to gather samples from the far side of the moon, Nelson reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to maintaining a presence on the moon and preventing any military objectives from undermining space exploration efforts.
Additionally, Nelson raised concerns about Russia’s collaboration with China to potentially build a nuclear power plant on the moon, highlighting Russia’s shifting focus away from cooperation with the West due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
