NASA: US and China must discuss lunar mission plans

Science: According to NASA Administrator, the two sides will need to discuss the exchange of data and mission plans to create a permanent presence on the moon. NASA chief Bill Nelson met the press at the 75th International Astronautical Conference (IAC) here on Tuesday (October 15) to address questions related to the agency’s Artemis program.

NASA, with Artemis, and China, with its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), are working to transport astronauts to the moon and build lunar infrastructure to support repeated and long-term missions. China and NASA are planning to land on the moon’s south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are estimated to contain a lot of water ice. This valuable resource could be used to make rocket fuel or provide life support for astronauts.

“We have had conversations to resolve the orbit dispute around Mars, and that was done a few years ago,” Nelson said, referring to the arrival of China’s Tianwen 1 orbiter to the Red Planet, as well as missions from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and others. However, he expects similar exchanges to take place in the future regarding lunar missions.