Former NASA administrator Bill Nelson, who led the agency from May 2021 to January 2025, details his views on the US-China space competition in his upcoming book, Space Odyssey, scheduled for release in January 2027.
Nelson highlights concerns regarding China's lunar strategy, arguing that Beijing seeks to dominate the lunar South Pole by establishing permanent infrastructure rather than merely conducting temporary exploration missions.
Current NASA administrator Jared Isaacman is prioritizing the establishment of a lunar base at the South Pole. He noted that NASA is reevaluating international partnerships to secure access to limited lunar sites before China and its Russian partners.
Isaacman expressed concern that China could deploy nuclear reactors on the Moon, potentially denying the US access to critical resources. NASA is currently targeting a 2028 launch for the Artemis IV mission to land humans on the lunar surface.
Nelson, a supporter of the Wolf Amendment which restricts NASA-China cooperation, describes China's space program as militarized and opaque. He warns that the outcome of this race will define the rules for future human expansion in space.
