NASA Enforces Ban on Chinese Nationals from Space Programs Amid Security Concerns

Sat Oct 18 2025 07:18:35 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

NASA has implemented a ban on Chinese nationals from accessing its facilities and participating in its programs, reflecting rising tensions over national security amid increased competition in space exploration.

The United States space agency NASA has restricted access for Chinese nationals with valid US visas, a move that prevents them from working at NASA's facilities and contributing to research. This decision stems from growing concerns over national security as tensions rise between the US and China regarding their respective space programs. The ban further illustrates the decline in scientific collaboration fueled by mutual suspicion and allegations of espionage.

The US space agency NASA has blocked Chinese citizens with valid US visas from its facilities - a move that effectively bars them from working at one of the most respected space research centres.

Chinese nationals, who could only work at NASA as contractors or students contributing to research, found out on 5 September that they had lost all access to NASA's systems and facilities, Bloomberg news reported, citing sources.

NASA then confirmed this, stating that Chinese nationals would be restricted from using the agency's 'facilities, materials and networks to ensure the security of our work'.

China's accelerated space program has alarmed the US and ramped up the race between the two biggest economies.

Chinese astronauts are already excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) because Washington has barred NASA from sharing its data with China. The latest restriction from NASA only adds to the decline in scientific collaboration between the two sides because of national security concerns.

As they compete to gain a technological edge, Beijing and Washington have also grown increasingly wary of each other. The suspicion has made it harder for some Chinese students, especially those studying science and tech, to get visas or even enter the US, once they have secured a visa.

There have also been several cases in the US recently involving alleged espionage by Chinese nationals, particularly scientists.

It is unclear how much notice NASA gave Chinese nationals who were working for the agency. Bloomberg News reported that they suddenly found they were denied access to the agency's data systems and barred from participating in meetings relating to their work - both in-person and virtual.

NASA's press secretary, Bethany Stevens, confirmed to news outlets that the agency had taken 'internal action' regarding Chinese nationals, including restricting physical and cybersecurity access to its facilities.

China has openly expressed its space ambitions, with both Beijing and Washington competing to send crews to the Moon. 'We're in a second space race right now,' NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy stated during a press conference, emphasizing the urgency of US discoveries on Mars.

He remarked, 'The Chinese want to get back to the Moon before us. That's not going to happen.'

The director of the general technology bureau of China's Manned Space Agency remarked last year that US concerns were 'unnecessary', asserting that China's space exploration is a 'collective mission for humanity'.

At a recent US Senate hearing, lawmakers underscored the importance of the US's need to reach the Moon before China. Senator Ted Cruz expressed, 'If our adversaries achieve dominant space capabilities, it would pose a profound risk to America... the stakes could not be higher.'

The race is not merely about reaching the Moon; it also concerns who will control its resources once there. The Moon is rich in minerals, including rare earths, iron, titanium, and helium, which are crucial for various technologies.