China enhanced its space capabilities for military purposes and disguised the updates as civilian efforts, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a House Appropriations hearing Wednesday, April 17. Nelson stressed the critical need for the U.S. to land on the moon before China to maintain its leadership in space. He presented NASA’s proposed $25.4 billion budget, emphasizing its importance for staying ahead in the space race.
In his testimony, Nelson expressed concerns that if China reaches the moon first, it could claim territory and exclude other nations. He cited China’s aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea as a precedent. Nelson also noted that China accelerated its timeline for a crewed moon landing, previously scheduled for 2030. The country plans to build a moon base within five years.
Furthermore, recent reports from the 2023 Space Threat Assessment indicate that China advanced its space capabilities. It launched two spaceplanes in August 2022, which are similar to Boeing’s X-37 Bravo. These launches heightened concerns about China’s potential military uses in space, including the deployment of ground-based lasers that could target satellites.
China, however, denied any intentions of establishing a military presence in space, with its U.N. ambassador stating that space wars are unwinnable and should never be fought.
Despite these assurances, U.S. intelligence describes China’s space surveillance as robust. It involvs both naval ships for space-tracking and a network of satellites that provide a Chinese alternative to GPS.
Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post reported significant progress in China’s electromagnetic railgun technology, which could revolutionize space launches.
This technology is managed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation’s Flight Vehicle Technology Research Institute. It uses a massive electromagnetic launch track to propel a hypersonic aircraft to Mach 1.6, enabling it to reach near space at seven times the speed of sound.
This system is considered more advanced than the electromagnetic aircraft launch system on the USS Ford.
