Bill Nelson's comments about China

[Eric Hedman]

According to an article in republicworld.com (A site I had never heard of before) NASA is concerned about a Chinese takeover of the Moon.  They claim it is from an interview Nelson did with Bild.:

https://www.republicworld.com/science/space/china-may-be-plotting-moon-takeover-as-part-of-its-military-space-programme-says-nasa-articleshow.html

And here is China's less than pleased response:

https://www.republicworld.com/science/space/china-furious-over-nasa-head-bill-nelsons-moon-hijack-remark-calls-him-colonial-minded-articleshow.html

Does anyone know what is going on with this?

[arachnitect]

Bild is a tabloid. The international game of telephone (English to German to an English language Indian publication) isn't helping either.

Safely ignore.

[Vahe231991]

According to an article in republicworld.com (A site I had never heard of before) NASA is concerned about a Chinese takeover of the Moon.  They claim it is from an interview Nelson did with Bild.:

https://www.republicworld.com/science/space/china-may-be-plotting-moon-takeover-as-part-of-its-military-space-programme-says-nasa-articleshow.html

And here is China's less than pleased response:

https://www.republicworld.com/science/space/china-furious-over-nasa-head-bill-nelsons-moon-hijack-remark-calls-him-colonial-minded-articleshow.html

Does anyone know what is going on with this?

Nelson's claim about China's moon ambitions might be merely pure geopolitical bluster, even though China is now seen by the US as a powerful rival technologically and militarily, because China's economic slowdown as a result of Beijing's handling of the COVID-19 situation at home will most likely cause a slowdown in the tempo of development of many advanced Chinese spacecraft and SLV projects, namely the Long March 9 moon rocket, a space station for orbiting the moon, and spacecraft tailored to study the gas giant planets. The US is now preparing for the first launch of the SLS rocket later this summer, so the US may end up reigning supreme as the dominant nation when it comes to lunar exploration via spaceships.

[jstrotha0975]

SLS isn't sustainable in the long term.

[laszlo]

SLS isn't sustainable in the long term.

Depends on the goals. Even if all you cared about was actual space transportation without the white-collar welfare and manufacturing subsidies, the SLS costs get lost in a $6 trillion dollar annual budget. As long as the government wants occasional flags and footprints missions (which is all it's actually funding) it will have no trouble funding SLS. It's sustainable.

Now as to it being a good idea that's another discussion.

[jose m]

SLS isn't sustainable in the long term.

The entire Chinese space program should cost a tenth of what was spent on SLS and it will achieve several objectives, while SLS is going to do it? someone knows?

[Zed_Noir]

SLS isn't sustainable in the long term.

True. However if you substitute Starship for the SLS, then it is very sustainable for a very long term. Especially if the current SX CTO remains to run his show for a while. The Chinese don't really differentiate between the official NASA program and the activities of US commercial entities.

[JulesVerneATV]

Are they going for the Moon or Mars? People took their eye off China, now they have a working Rover on Mars, their own SpaceStation, they clocked up sample missions on the Moon. They could have Hubble type telescopes soon, a possible future plan for a Nuclear Neptune Orbiter,  Asteroid Exploration Mission, Space-based solar power beamed to Earth plus a Mars Sample Return. Here is a news item on their X-Ray telescope from 2017 https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/06/china-x-ray-telescope-long-march-4b/

[su27k]

Does anyone know what is going on with this?

A better source: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/china-rejects-nasa-accusation-it-will-take-over-moon-2022-07-04/

Nelson is trying to use the threat of China to get more funding from Congress for Artemis, nothing new here, pretty sure he used photo of the Chinese Mars rover during a Congressional hearing a few while ago.

And there're real concerns among some people that China may ignore OST and claim part of the Moon. Given their actions over the South China Sea, this concern is justified. Although I usually see this concern from the Republicans, interesting that Nelson picked it up.

The US is now preparing for the first launch of the SLS rocket later this summer, so the US may end up reigning supreme as the dominant nation when it comes to lunar exploration via spaceships.

If the US counts on SLS to compete with China over the Moon, then it's going to lose badly. Fortunately the US has much better alternatives in Texas right now.

[spacebleachers]

Although I usually see this concern from the Republicans, interesting that Nelson picked it up.

That is because Nelson is part of an old group of Democrats that were termed Dixiecrats. While they often sided with their fellow dems on social issues, they tended to side with Republicans on Defense.

[zubenelgenubi]

Bild is a tabloid. The international game of telephone (English to German to an English language Indian publication) isn't helping either.

Safely ignore.

Thread locked.