Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) offered to apply to China for cooperation in obtaining lunar samples collected by China's Chang'e-5 mission. This move has attracted the attention and heated discussions of the international community. However, under the Wolf Act, passed by Congress in 2011, NASA is not allowed to cooperate with China unless authorized by Congress. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether NASA's attempt will succeed this time.
NASA believes that it is important to apply for lunar samples collected by China. First, these samples come from areas of the Moon that NASA has not yet sampled, and are of particular value for understanding the Moon's geological history and Earth-Moon system. Secondly, these samples have recently been opened up to the international scientific community, providing scientists with research opportunities. As a result, NASA believes that these samples will provide valuable information and clues for future lunar exploration programs.
However, it is not easy to work with China. In addition to the restrictions of the Wolf Act, the U.S. Congress has passed other bills to restrict and regulate China's space technology. This shows that the United States is suppressing and blockading China in the space field. However, Chang'e-5 successfully brought 1,731 grams of lunar soil back to Earth, an important milestone in China's lunar exploration program. China's space technology continues to grow, while U.S. space policy is undergoing a major shift.
As the United States seeks cooperation with China, China and Russia, among others, have introduced two resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly to ensure transparency in space activities, strengthen confidence-building measures, and emphasize no first deployment in space**.
According to a report by Russia**, the United Nations has adopted a resolution on space activities, proposed by China and Russia on behalf of a number of countries, urging member states to build mutual trust measures in space activities and put these measures into practice. In addition, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution "No first deployment in space", sponsored by Russia and China. Under this resolution, countries with space capabilities need to commit to not being the first to deploy in space** and to start substantive work as soon as possible.
These two resolutions demonstrate China's desire to maintain transparent and trusting space cooperation with the international community, and emphasize that space will not be used for military purposes. China's position is clear: If the United States wants to cooperate with China, it must abide by these resolutions, build mutual trust, and ensure the security of China's space program.
U.S. space policy imposes restrictions on China's space development, including restrictions on NASA's cooperation with China and export controls on Chinese space technology. To a certain extent, this restriction reflects the hegemonic mentality of the United States and its concern about China's rise.
However, China's space industry is constantly making major breakthroughs, successfully carrying out multiple lunar missions and bringing large amounts of lunar soil back to Earth. This shows the strong strength and rapid development of China's space technology. At the same time, China has also actively shared lunar samples and related data with the international community, demonstrating its willingness to carry out cooperation and exchanges.
Against this backdrop, the posture of the United States has shifted. In order to be able to obtain China's cooperation, NASA opened the path of seeking cooperation with China, which marked a major change in U.S. policy in the field of space. However, whether this attempt will succeed depends on whether the US side can convince Congress and the FBI to ensure the security of cooperation.
NASA seeks to cooperate with China to obtain lunar samples collected by China, reflecting the interdependence and win-win situation between the two countries in the space field. However, due to historical reasons and policy constraints on both sides, there are still certain challenges and obstacles to achieving cooperation.
For China, the aerospace industry is one of the country's important strategic areas and an important window to demonstrate the country's comprehensive strength. China has made remarkable achievements, but there is still a certain gap compared with the international advanced level. Therefore, cooperation and exchanges with the international community are of positive significance for improving the level of our own space technology and promoting the development of the global space industry.
For the United States, cooperation with China in the space field will not only provide valuable scientific research, but also promote mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries, and promote the international community's attention to the transparency and security of space activities. For NASA, cooperation with China is not only a driving force for scientific progress, but also a strategic choice to achieve the country's space goals.
All in all, space cooperation is not only a form of international competition, but also a mode of cooperation for the common development of the international community. A strong, safe and sustainable space environment requires the full cooperation of the international community, and the promotion of mutual trust and cooperation is key to achieving this goal. It is hoped that in the future, the space cooperation between the United States and China will make positive progress and make positive contributions to maintaining peace and development in space.