Can China Ban US astronauts from visiting moon? See what NASA's Bill Nelson says

According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, China might forbid American lunar exploration. China intends to launch three unmanned lunar missions over the next ten years before sending taikonauts to the moon's surface. NASA is now concerned about China's moon ambitions, even though it will be many years before Chinese astronauts can walk on the moon's surface. China might forbid US moon missions? Bill Nelson and other NASA officials reportedly discussed their concerns about China's moon ambitions in a recent report. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit- The Guardian[/caption] According to Nelson, China could prevent American astronauts from travelling to the Moon by controlling areas of the lunar surface where resources are scarce. The NASA representative went on to say that he and other officials are concerned that the Chinese government will assert its sovereignty over the Moon once they arrive there. Also Read: Cinematic Video of Artemis 1 Moon Mission Released by NASA And it's true that we need to keep an eye out to make sure they don't enter the moon under the pretence of conducting scientific research, Nelson said. Bill even asserted that China could imitate its tactics for staking claim to the sea and land in the South China Sea. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="630"] image credit- POLITICO[/caption] What the Law Says About Space No country is allowed to claim ownership of the heavenly bodies or of space, according to the official international space law. These include the Sun, the Moon, various planets, and extrasolar planets. In addition, the following guidelines are implemented by international space law:

• The Moon, the planets, and other celestial bodies can only be used for peaceful purposes, and the use of weapons of mass destruction is prohibited both inside orbit and beyond.
• Nations must refrain from contaminating space and celestial bodies and take responsibility for any harm their space objects may cause.
• Every country benefits from space activities, and any one of them is free to explore orbit and beyond.
• All nations have been free to explore space for the past few years.
• Numerous space launches and other extraordinary operations were underway as of the time of publication.

Recently, NASA HiRISE photographed a stunning, enigmatic crater on Mars.