NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Sept. 15 that the race to the Moon carries national security stakes, explicitly linking the Artemis program to strategic competition with China. Nelson said the U.S. cannot afford to fall behind China in lunar exploration.
Nelson pointed to China’s stated goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and its buildup of orbital infrastructure, including the Tiangong space station, as evidence of Beijing’s intent to dominate cislunar space.
Nelson emphasized that the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon, is now viewed by the administration as a critical component of U.S. national security strategy.
The administrator’s national security framing is expected to bolster support for the program among defense hawks in both parties.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine