WASHINGTON: Space wars no longer appear to be science fiction as the U.S. military is likely headed to the moon to counter multiplying threats in space from China and Russia.
Rep. Ken Calvert, the California Republican who chairs the House Appropriations defence subcommittee predicted this saying he is bracing for China to militarize the moon and Russia to put a megaton bomb in low Earth orbit.
This week in Washington, Calvert told the Hill & Valley Forum’s gathering of top tech and government officials that the U.S. Space Force is likely headed to the moon as well.
“Space Force will be actively involved in, I think, in going to the moon at some point and that discussion is ongoing,” Mr. Calvert said. “Obviously, China is probably going to militarize the moon, I have no doubt, so I suspect we will have a base on the moon also … maybe by the end of this decade.”
On the other hand, China is planning its own moon base. Last month, the Chinese National Space Administration published a video depicting its plans for a lunar base, the International Lunar Research Station, broadcast by the state-run China Global Television Network. China and Russia previously announced plans for the ILRS in 2021.
“By 2035, ILRS will build Basic Model to implement regular lunar scientific experiments, technology verification, and in-situ resource utilization,” read English-language captions on the video depicting China’s plans to establish a settlement on the moon. “By 2045, ILRS will build a comprehensive well-operated Extended Model to implement lunar-based complex scientific researches well as large-scale lunar resources utilization to support humankind go to deeper space.”
And on Friday, Chinese space officials launched a mission to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insight into the differences between the less-explored region and the A New Moon probe.
But China’s bold plan included embarrassing setbacks. Space.com found that the video contained footage of a NASA space shuttle taking off from the lunar surface, and China’s state broadcaster released a blurry photo of the shuttle in a video posted to YouTube.
