China takes aim at Nasa chief’s moon military takeover claims

Name: China’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander finds water on the moon, but not as much as they hoped
Uploaded: 2022-07-04T13:14:09.000Z
Duration: 1 min 42 s
Description: China’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander finds water on the moon, but not as much as they hoped

American official Bill Nelson says Chinese astronauts are learning how to destroy other countries’ satellites

Foreign ministry says the allegations are reckless and false

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China plans to put astronauts on the moon by 2030. Photo: CNSA

Liu Zhen

Published: 9:14pm, 4 Jul 2022

Beijing has rejected claims by Nasa’s chief that China might “take over” the moon and its space programme is a “military” one, saying the US was responsible for militarising space.

In an interview with the German newspaper Bild on the weekend, Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said: “We must be very concerned about China landing on the moon and saying that it now belongs to the People’s Republic and everyone else should stay out.”

Nelson also claimed that Chinese astronauts were learning how to destroy other countries’ satellites.

He said the competition between China and the US in space was intense, especially for the lunar southern pole where there could be water.

China has announced an ambitious lunar exploration plan to send astronauts to the moon around 2030 and build a station there five or so years later.

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China’s Chang’e 5 lunar lander finds water on the moon, but not as much as they hoped

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that Nelson’s claims were “recklessness and falsehoods”.

China takes aim at Nasa chief’s moon military takeover claims

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}American official Bill Nelson says Chinese astronauts are learning how to destroy other countries’ satellites Foreign ministry says the allegations are reckless and false

American official Bill Nelson says Chinese astronauts are learning how to destroy other countries’ satellites

Foreign ministry says the allegations are reckless and false