The U.S. space agency NASA has barred Chinese nationals—even those holding valid U.S. visas—from accessing its facilities, effectively preventing them from working at one of the world’s leading space research centers.
According to Bloomberg News, Chinese citizens had previously worked at NASA only as contractors or research-contributing students. On September 5, they were informed that all access to NASA systems and facilities had been revoked. NASA later confirmed that these restrictions were implemented to protect the security of its operations, including limitations on the use of its facilities, equipment, and networks.
Chinese astronauts have already been excluded from the International Space Station (ISS), as U.S. regulations prohibit NASA from sharing information with China. National security concerns have strained scientific cooperation further, making many Chinese science and technology students’ visa applications increasingly difficult. Even those granted visas have sometimes been barred from entering the U.S.
NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens stated that the agency has taken internal measures to restrict both physical and cybersecurity access for Chinese nationals. The move comes amid growing competition between Beijing and Washington to send astronauts back to the Moon.
Speaking about U.S. discoveries on Mars, NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said, “We are now in a second space race. The Chinese want to return to the Moon before we do. We will not let that happen.”
U.S. lawmakers have emphasized the need for America to reach the Moon first, highlighting that the competition is not only about presence on the lunar surface but also control over its valuable resources, including rare earth elements, metals like iron and titanium, and helium—used in technologies ranging from superconductors to medical equipment.
China, for its part, has described its space exploration as a mission for humanity, dismissing U.S. concerns as unnecessary.
