Some hope that a competition between China and the United States could change to cooperation. But NASA is currently limited from directly working with the Chinese space agency or Chinese-owned companies. “Obviously the United States prohibits cooperation with China, no?” said Xiao Long, a scientist at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, who has advised the Chinese space program. It continued that path when the Obama administration cancelled that moon program and focused on more distant destinations like an asteroid and Mars. Still, in scope, ambition and resources, China’s program now rivals the United States’ and Russia’s.

Source: bd News24 December 17, 2020 05:03 UTC