NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a significant international space conference taking place in Paris that it is "up to China" whether or not there is a possibility of space cooperation with the country, according to a report by Space.com.
Nelson was asked about the possibility of cooperation with China on the moon on Sunday, September 18, the first day of the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 03: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks at a press conference on the Artemis I mission on September 03, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Need for "Openness"
Nelson said that cooperation with China "is up to China" itself. He said during the event that there is a need for "openness" and that China and NASA have recently communicated over issues such as the orbits of Mars spacecraft.
However, the NASA chief claimed a "lack of needed transparency" from China.
NASA and China have noted that some prospective landing sites around the lunar south pole match commonalities for their respective planned Artemis 3 and Chang'e 7 missions.
Hence, the possibility of space cooperation between the two parties was raised during the event.
China was not present in Paris to address the problems brought up. Vice administrator Wu Yanhua, who was supposed to represent the China National Space Administration (CNSA) at the Heads of Agencies plenary session, vanished from the event website weeks before the event, as per Space.com.
Mr. Wu was unable to attend due to a scheduling difficulty, according to a representative for the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), which organizes the meeting.
Can NASA Really Cooperate with China?
Despite the fact that Nelson's remarks appear to indicate that NASA is open to some conversation, the organization is technically forbidden from cooperating bilaterally with China.
Congress passed a law in 2011 known as the "Wolf amendment," which placed restrictions on government dealings with Chinese state enterprises like the CNSA without prior permission and security guarantees.
However, Brian Weeden, director of program planning for Secure World Foundation, said that there is a need for "more discussions" between the two countries on space activities, even though he acknowledged that it would be tricky.
In recent months, Nelson has also expressed his disapproval of China's lunar plans, which has received strong reactions from Chinese state media.
In fact, Nelson claimed that China is planning to conduct a militarized moon takeover in July. But of course, China rejected the accusation.
Space.com reported that both the United States and China are now looking for collaborations for their own plans for lunar exploration, and it appears that their initiatives will follow different paths.
NASA is advocating the Artemis Accords, which establishes a framework for moon exploration, and is preparing to launch the Artemis 1 mission, with upcoming crewed lunar missions planned this decade.
China is currently developing the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), which it hopes to build in the 2030s alongside Russia and other partners. China is also developing the tools required to land astronauts on the moon.
Related Article: NASA Requests for Another Artemis Moon Lander - How About SpaceX's Starship Lander?
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
