NASA Administrator Bill Nelson recently dropped a bombshell while talking to the House appropriations committee about NASA’s budget for 2025.

He straight-up said that he thinks China is hiding its military space program under the guise of civilian activities. Nelson believes that a lot of what China says is for peaceful purposes might actually be for military gain.

Nelson didn’t mince words, stating, “We believe that a lot of their so-called civilian space program is a military program. “And I think, in effect, we are in a race.” He’s hoping that China will realize that space should be a place for peaceful exploration, but it seems like he’s not holding his breath.

Two different approaches to space stations

When it comes to space exploration, one of the big differences between the US and China is how they handle their space stations. NASA works together with partners from Europe, Canada, Japan, and Russia to manage the International Space Station (ISS). Conversely, China operates its own space station, Tiangong, with a crew of three astronauts.

The race to the moon

But the competition doesn’t stop at space stations. Nelson also mentioned that he’s worried China might beat the US to the moon and hog all the lunar resources for themselves. This isn’t the first time he’s brought this up; he said something similar back in 2022, and it ruffled some feathers among Chinese experts who thought Nelson was stuck in a “colonial mindset.”

Despite the tension, both the US and China have big plans for the moon. NASA and its international buddies want to set up sustainable lunar bases and put astronauts on the moon by 2026. China, on the other hand, is aiming to send its own astronauts to the moon by 2030.

China’s “Heavenly Palace” in Space

Speaking of China’s space ambitions, let’s take a closer look at their space station, Tiangong, which literally means “Heavenly Palace.” This baby is a big deal for China because it demonstrates that they can keep humans in space for the long haul, all on their own.

A Station Built in Pieces

Just like the ISS, Tiangong is being built into modules that are launched into orbit and then connected together. The main module, called “Tianhe,” is where the astronauts live and work. China plans to add more modules in the coming years to expand the station’s capabilities.

A Place for Science

Tiangong isn’t just a fancy space hotel; it’s also decked out with labs and equipment for all kinds of scientific research. Astronomers, Earth scientists, and biologists are all eager to take advantage of the unique conditions in space to conduct experiments.

Showing off China’s Space Skills

Sure, Tiangong is mainly a Chinese project, but there’s talk of opening it up to astronauts and researchers from other countries in the future. Plus, it’s a major point of pride for China, showcasing their growing space skills and ambitions.

The Future of Space Exploration

As the US and China continue to compete and collaborate in space, it’s clear that the next few years will be a wild ride. Will China beat the US to the moon? Will Tiangong become the new hotspot for international space science? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the space race is back on, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch it all unfold.