Despite China’s many achievements in space, including landing an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon to collect samples, the United States remains on track to return astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of its chief rival, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in an interview.
A Chinese national flag carried by the lander of Chang’e-6 probe at the moon’s far side on June 4. After another Chinese spacecraft touched down on the lunar surface earlier this month, this time to retrieve samples from the moon’s far side, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated a country that is challenging the United States’ long-held dominance in space. He said he was impressed with its fourth successful moon landing.
But despite China’s many achievements in space — which include an occupied space station in low Earth orbit and landing a rover on Mars in 2021 — the United States remains on track to return astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of its chief rival, Nelson said.NASA plans to one day build an enduring presence at the hottest real estate in the solar system: the lunar south pole.
Given Starship’s important role of landing on the surface, NASA is closely watching its development. SpaceX recently conducted theof the massive vehicle, the biggest and most powerful ever built, flying it most of the way around the globe in what the company said was a largely successful flight that will allow it to continue to develop it rapidly.Nelson said “a good indicator of” NASA’s ability to get to the moon ahead of China “was SpaceX’s success in their last Starship flight.
Still, it ought to concern all nations with assets in space, Nelson said, and especially China, which operates not only a growing number of spacecraft that could be disabled by a nuclear blast but a crewed space station as well.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA Crew Flight Test Astronauts to Call White House, NASA LeadersFollowing their safe arrival at the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will participate in a pair of Earth to space
Read more »
NASA’s LRO Spots China’s Chang'e 6 Spacecraft on Lunar Far SideNASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) imaged China’s Chang'e 6 sample return spacecraft on the far side of the Moon on June 7. Chang'e 6 landed on June 1,
Read more »
NASA's LRO spots China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft on lunar far sideNASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) imaged China's Chang'e 6 sample return spacecraft on the far side of the moon on June 7. Chang'e 6 landed on June 1, and when LRO passed over the landing site almost a week later, it acquired an image showing the lander on the rim of an eroded, 55-yard-diameter (about 50 meters) crater.
Read more »
Postdoctoral Fellowships at West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University - Chengdu, Sichuan, China job with West China School of Medicine/West China HospitalAbout West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University (WCH/WCSM, SCU) was founded in 1892 and recognized as a national general hospital and a diagnosis and treatment center for complex and critical illnesses, as well as a renowned medical school in...
Read more »
Welcome Global Talents to West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University - Chengdu, Sichuan, China job with West China School of Medicine/West China HospitalWest China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University (WCH/WCSM, SCU) was founded in 1892 and recognized as a national general hospital and a diagnosis and treatment center for complex and critical illnesses, as well as a renowned medical school in China.
Read more »
Welcome Global Talents to West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University - Chengdu, Sichuan, China job with West China School of Medicine/West China HospitalWest China Hospital/West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University (WCH/WCSM, SCU) was founded in 1892 and recognized as a national general hospital and a diagnosis and treatment center for complex and critical illnesses, as well as a renowned medical school in China.
Read more »