The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has begun implementing a policy banning Chinese citizens, even those with valid visas, from participating in its programs.
The move, which reflects the intensifying space race between the two superpowers, was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by a US government official.
Speaking to reporters on September 10, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens said the agency has taken internal measures related to Chinese citizens, including limiting physical and cybersecurity access to NASA facilities, materials and network systems to ensure work security.
Speaking at a press conference the same day regarding the discoveries on Mars, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy commented that the world is entering a space race.
He expressed confidence that the US, with its pioneering role in the space field, will continue to maintain its leading position in the coming time.
Previously, Chinese citizens were allowed to work as contractors or students participating in research, but not as full-time employees, according to Bloomberg.
However, on September 5, several anonymous individuals revealed to Bloomberg that they were suddenly cut off from IT systems and banned from attending in-person meetings.
The move comes as the US and China compete to send astronauts to the Moon.
The US Artemis programme, a follow-up to the Apollo lunar landings from 1969-1972, is aiming to return to the Moon by 2027 but has faced cost overruns and delays.
China, in contrast, aims to land its astronauts on the Moon by 2030 under its own program and has recently been more successful in meeting its timelines.
Not only stopping at the Moon, China also aims to become the first country to bring samples from the surface of Mars back to Earth, with a robotic mission scheduled to launch in 2028, and bring samples back as early as 2031./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nasa-thay-doi-chinh-sach-cam-cong-dan-trung-quoc-tham-gia-du-an-post1061207.vnp
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