Why Experts Insist the US and Allies Must Win the Space Race Against China for a Secure Cosmic Future

Many American space professionals, government officials, and politicians called for action at a congressional hearing on NASA’s Artemis program.

US and allies should beat China in space race to assure rules (Photo: Google)

Navigating Lunar Diplomacy

The Chinese Communist Party aggressively sought lunar research collaborations and desired to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. This prompted the US and its allies to construct a rules-based international order in space before China did.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee head, Frank Lucas, stressed the importance of the following country landing on the moon, setting a precedent for future lunar activity. With China proposing an uncrewed lunar landing by 2027, rivalry rises as NASA’s Artemis program faces safety delays.

Ancient ice and vital minerals are found at the moon’s disputed south pole. NASA’s Artemis program confronts obstacles, with Catherine Koerner recognizing Artemis 2 life-support system development issues. Former NASA administrator Michael Griffin raised worries about the program’s complexity and cost, but attempts to land humans on the moon continue.

Griffin stressed the geopolitical relevance of space and the space frontier in global power relations. This summer, Chinese advances like the 2018 far side of the moon landing and sample return plans highlight Sino-American space competitiveness.

READ ALSO: Final Anti-Dumping Duties Imposed By The US On Food Can Steel Imports From China, Canada, Germany, And Korea

Securing the Next Frontier

A Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies policy study highlights the necessity for a strategic US presence in the cislunar area for scientific, economic, and security purposes. With China launching satellites in this region, the study urges rapid action to prevent the loss of US space leadership.

Thirty-three nations, including India and Brazil, embrace the Washington-led Artemis Accords for peaceful space cooperation. Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine noted the agreements’ significance in openness and conflict prevention.

Bridenstine underlined the need for conversation channels, primarily because NASA can only directly interact with China with legislative authority. In a similar incident, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Strategy John Plumb highlighted worries about China’s highly maneuverable systems, noting the SJ21 satellite’s orbital alteration of an inoperative BeiDou navigation satellite.

The need for a strategic presence in cislunar space grows as the US and its allies navigate the 21st-century space race. The competition has economic, scientific, and geopolitical consequences for global leadership in the space frontier beyond lunar exploration.

READ ALSO: Web Of Espionage: Spy Balloon Communicates With China Through US Internet Provider