NASA has imposed restrictions on the participation of Chinese citizens with valid visas in its programs, that emphasizes the exacerbation of the space race between the US and China. This policy change was first reported by Bloomberg News and confirmed by US agency.
The ban concerns physical access to NASA objects, materials and cybersecurity, To guarantee the protection of the agency's work. Previously, Chinese nationals could work as contractors or research students, but not as full-time employees. WITH 5 September 2025 In 2016, several individuals were restricted from accessing information systems and were prohibited from participating in personal meetings.
The move comes amid rising anti-China rhetoric under President Donald Trump's administration. The US and China are competing to land crews on the moon. American program Artemis, the successor to the Apollo missions 1969-1972 years, plans to land in 2027 year, but faces cost overruns and delays. Instead, China aims to land its astronauts before 2030 year and demonstrates greater success in meeting schedules.
China also aims to become the first country, which will return samples from the surface of Mars, with a planned robotic mission to 2028 year and returning samples to 2031 year. The Trump administration, in turn, proposed to cancel the joint mission with the European Space Agency to return Martian samples, hinting, that the task can be accomplished by a manned mission, although the details have not been specified.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com