In a move highlighting the intensifying space race between the two rival powers, NASA has begun barring Chinese nationals with valid visas from joining its programs.
The policy change was first reported by Bloomberg News and later confirmed by the US government agency.
“NASA has taken internal action pertaining to Chinese nationals, including restricting physical and cybersecurity access to our facilities, materials, and network to ensure the security of our work,” NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens told AFP on Wednesday.
According to Bloomberg, Chinese nationals were previously allowed to work as contractors or students contributing to research, though not as staff. However, on September 5, several individuals told the outlet, on the condition of anonymity, that they were suddenly locked out of IT systems and barred from in-person meetings.
High-Stakes Competition and the Space Race
This decision comes amid escalating anti-China rhetoric under President Donald Trump’s administration. The United States and China are currently in a fierce competition to land crews on the Moon.
The US Artemis program, a successor to the Apollo landings of 1969-1972, is targeting a 2027 lunar landing but has faced cost overruns and delays. In contrast, China aims to land its “taikonauts” (astronauts) by 2030 under its own program and has recently been more successful at meeting its deadlines.
“We’re in a second space race right now,” NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy told reporters on Wednesday, speaking at a news conference about discoveries made with a US rover on Mars.
“The Chinese want to get back to the Moon before us. That’s not going to happen. America has led in space in the past, and we are going to continue to lead in space in the future.”
China is also seeking to become the first country to return a sample from the Martian surface, with a robotic mission slated to launch in 2028 and bring rocks back as soon as 2031.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has signaled through its budget proposal that it wants to cancel a planned Mars Sample Return mission, a joint project with the European Space Agency. It has hinted that the job could instead be accomplished by a crewed mission, though no firm details have been provided.
