NASA chief says U.S. will beat China in race to the moon
WASHINGTON -- As the race between the U.S. and China to reach the moon intensifies, the head of NASA expects U.S. astronauts to land before their Chinese counterparts in 2025 or 2026.
"There are very, very few nations that do not want to be partners with us. China is one. China has always been very secretive," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in an interview with Nikkei, referring to Beijing's stance on developing its own project to send people to the moon. "I think we're in a race with China."
Nelson said he was disappointed at the opaqueness of the Chinese space program, citing an incident last year when most of the world was left guessing where debris from a rocket launch would land.
