Drew Wilson
November 17th, 2009, 05:52 PM
OKYO — NASA is ready to cooperate with China in space exploration, the head of the US agency said on Tuesday, as Beijing aims to send a manned mission to the moon by around 2020.
"I am perfectly willing, if that's the direction that comes to me, to engage the Chinese in trying to make them a partner in any space endeavour. I think they're a very capable nation," NASA chief Charles Bolden said.
"They have demonstrated their capability to do something that only two other nations that have done -- that is, to put humans in space. And I think that is an achievement you cannot ignore," he told reporters on a visit to Tokyo.
"They are a nation that is trying to really lead. If we could cooperate we would probably be better off than if we would not," the former astronaut said.
More... (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hla2i5PLLHuXp5CanUH6ygR6M5zA)
How sad that the US is in the process of outsourcing NASA to China. I wonder what would happen if the US military were to also be outsourced to China as well.
"I am perfectly willing, if that's the direction that comes to me, to engage the Chinese in trying to make them a partner in any space endeavour. I think they're a very capable nation," NASA chief Charles Bolden said.
"They have demonstrated their capability to do something that only two other nations that have done -- that is, to put humans in space. And I think that is an achievement you cannot ignore," he told reporters on a visit to Tokyo.
"They are a nation that is trying to really lead. If we could cooperate we would probably be better off than if we would not," the former astronaut said.
More... (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hla2i5PLLHuXp5CanUH6ygR6M5zA)
How sad that the US is in the process of outsourcing NASA to China. I wonder what would happen if the US military were to also be outsourced to China as well.