The US has walked on the Moon and all the predictions are that we shall return to doing so in the very near future.....
But apparently word has been issued by China that the US would not be allowed to walk on the Moon....yes you read that right...."not allowed"....
There is a new space race happening more than five decades after the United States beat Russia to become the first nation to ever put on a human on the moon. This time, the contenders are the U.S. and China. And if China wins, it could cause serious trouble for the rest of the world, according to NASA chief Bill Nelon.
During an interview with Politico, Nelson and several other experts expressed concern over China's attempt to land on the moon before NASA's expected 2025 touchdown. They believe that the country could stake a claim on areas that are rich in minerals and other resources and block other countries from making a lunar journey.
"There is potentially mischief China can do on the moon," warned Terry Virts, the former commander of the International Space Station. "If they set up infrastructure there they could potentially deny communications, for example. Having them there doesn't make things easier. There is real concern about Chinese meddling."
The chief and the others from NASA worry that China is attempting to reach the moon "under the guise of scientific research." But nations should worry that their work is actually a power tactic.
https://outsider.com/news/nasa-chief-issues-warning-about-china-banning-us-astronauts-from-landing-moon/
My question is when did China take ownership of the Moon?
But is China that advanced that they now control the Moon?
"It is a fact: We're in a space race," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told Politico in a recent interview. And it's not just about politics and bragging rights—there are both national security and practical implications, according to many US officials. "We better watch out that [the Chinese] don't get to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research," Nelson added. "It is not beyond the realm of possibility that they say, 'Keep out, we're here, this is our territory.'" Meanwhile, America's space agency got almost all the money it wanted from Congress, including full funding for key components of the Artemis program, which seeks to put a permanent human presence on the moon by 2025. Much depends on whether SpaceX delivers on its promises.
Artemis may be ambitious, but it's the Chinese program that has developed in "stunningly fast" fashion and with "enormous success and advances," particularly in the past decade. As Fortunereported last month, construction of the Tiangong ("heavenly palace") space station is complete, and the first three-person team of "taikonauts" are in orbit conducting science experiments. Unlike the collaborative International Space Station, Tiangong is entirely managed by one nation, highlighting China's "self-reliance" as it works toward its "larger space ambitions." As for moon exploration, China has already expressed its "pioneering ability" by collecting samples and establishing communications from the far side of the moon, per Politico.
American scientists and military officials have expressed a fair amount of concern about Chinese ambitions, based in part on how China has asserted itself in the Pacific around the disputed Spratly Islands. China vehemently rejects suggestions that it intends to lay claim to any celestial real estate, and some experts say existing treaties—together with more friendly, collaborative engagement—should be sufficient to keep the peace. Still, there are practical matters at stake, including competition for a limited number of good moon-landing sites with access to water and other resources.
This Moon thing will be interesting to watch.....But first I guess we have to get beyond the South China Sea thing.....
Watch and Learn!
I Read, I Write, You Know
"lego ergo scribo"
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