The head of NASA admitted that China will declare part of the moon its territory

China can gain a foothold and try to dominate the moon, in its most resource-rich places, declared NASA Chief of Staff Bill Nelson in an interview with Politico. According to him, the confrontation between the US and China on this issue is getting tougher.

“Indeed, we better watch that they don’t end up somewhere on the moon under the guise of scientific research. And it is possible that they will say: “Stay away, we are here, this is our territory,” Nelson said.

Beijing had previously announced plans to land on the moon by the end of the decade, and delays in the US program could leave China behind, the paper said. Under former US President Donald Trump, NASA moved the moon landing schedule by a year.

The US military is also concerned about the development of space systems in China, as they could threaten US satellites. The Pentagon in its report to Congress warned of “jumps” in the Chinese space program, writes Politico.

It mentions China’s pioneering ability to not only land on the far side of the Moon, but also to establish a communications relay using a satellite that was launched a year earlier between the Earth and the Moon, the article said.

According to the former commander of the ISS, Terry Wirts, China could potentially harm the moon. “If they create infrastructure there, they could potentially, for example, ban communications. Chinese interference is a real concern,” he said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, in turn, said that officials in the United States “irresponsibly misrepresent China’s legitimate space efforts.”

Nelson believes the US is ahead of schedule in its plans to return to the Moon, but when asked if US astronauts would arrive before China, he replied, “It’s the Lord’s will.” According to him, the next mission, Artemis II, could take place within two years, however, “the date of the landing of China is getting closer and closer.”