On Thursday, China’s national space agency revealed that it will permit scientists from the United States and allied nations to study lunar rocks it collected, marking a significant step in enhancing the global reach of its lunar exploration efforts. This announcement underscores that collaboration between the U.S. and China in certain domains, such as space, continues despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes.
Among the seven institutions granted access to the lunar samples retrieved by China in 2020 are two U.S. universities funded by NASA: Brown University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The other authorized institutions hail from Japan, France, Germany, Britain, and Pakistan. With its Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, China became the third nation to successfully gather rocks from the moon, following the Soviet Union and the United States, which last collected samples in 1972.
Furthermore, China’s Chang’e-6 mission, completed in June of the previous year, made it the first nation to return rocks from the moon’s far side. However, U.S.-China collaboration in space has been hampered by a 2011 U.S. law aimed at preventing American technology from benefiting China’s military. This law mandates that NASA collaborate with the FBI to assure Congress that any discussions with China will not jeopardize U.S. national security. In October, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson informed Reuters that discussions were underway between NASA and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) regarding the terms of the loan agreement for the Chang’e-5 moon rocks, after he reassured American lawmakers that these discussions would not compromise national security.
Nelson also mentioned that four U.S. universities had sought access to the Chang’e-5 samples, expressing optimism that the negotiations would conclude with China agreeing to grant access to the samples.
He indicated that NASA will likely need to collaborate with the FBI for an additional national security certification to facilitate the delivery of moon rocks to U.S. universities for research purposes. Beijing aims to leverage its advancements in space exploration to strengthen political relationships with both its close allies and U.S. partners.
Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, remarked in a Reuters interview on Wednesday that the United States appears increasingly insular now, in contrast to its previous openness, while China has transitioned from a closed stance to one of openness due to its growing national strength and self-assurance. He noted that the rising trend of U.S. isolationism could hinder its aspirations in space. A representative from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated on Wednesday that the Chang’e-4 and 6 missions included four international payloads, and the upcoming Chang’e-7 mission will feature six international payloads, with discussions underway for collaboration with ten countries for the future Chang’e-8 mission. China envisions that the Chang’e-7 and 8 missions will yield critical data to inform its decisions regarding the establishment of a permanent manned lunar base by 2035.
