An artist’s impression of astronauts working on the surface of the moon.
MILAN — NASA and China will need to discuss exchanges of data and mission plans as the two sides move to build sustainable presences on the moon, according to the NASA administrator.
NASA chief Bill Nelson met with the press at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here on Tuesday (Oct. 15), addressing questions related to the agency’s Artemis program .
Both NASA, with Artemis, and China, with its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), are working to get astronauts to the moon and to build lunar infrastructure to support repeated and long-term missions.
China and NASA are planning landings at the lunar south pole , where permanently shadowed craters are thought to harbor lots of water ice. The precious resource could be used to make rocket fuel or provide life support for astronauts.
Related: NASA’s Artemis program: Everything you need to know
Asked by Space.com if the United States and China have had conversations about the exploration of the lunar south pole, Nelson said,
US and China will need to discuss moon mission plans, NASA chief predicts
