What happens when the world’s top space agency locks its doors on the citizens of its biggest rival?
This week, Chinese nationals with valid US visas suddenly found themselves shut out of NASA facilities and systems.
Bloomberg first reported this and NASA later confirmed it.
Overnight, students and contractors lost access to labs, networks and meetings.
NASA’s press secretary Bethany Stevens said the agency had taken “internal action” to restrict both physical and cyber access for Chinese nationals, citing security concerns.
What’s The Reason?
The timing isn’t accidental: Washington and Beijing are neck-and-neck in a new space race, each vying to land astronauts on the Moon and control its valuable resources.
“The Chinese want to get back to the moon before us.
That’s not going to happen,” NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy told reporters.
For years, Chinese astronauts have already been barred from the International Space Station.
Now, even routine scientific collaboration is breaking down.
Chinese students in tech fields report tougher visa hurdles and heightened scrutiny over espionage fears.
Critics warn the ban could erode trust and slow innovation, but US lawmakers are blunt: the stakes are nothing less than dominance in space.
After all, whoever gets there first could set the rules for the Moon’s riches.
