The head of NASA spoke about the need for selectivity in space partnerships due to the lunar race

NASA chief Jared Isaacman said the U.S. space agency must be more selective in choosing partners for international collaboration as the lunar race transforms from a battle for national prestige between the United States and China into a high-stakes competition for extraterrestrial territory and resources. The ArsTechnica portal writes about this.

The head of NASA noted the area of ​​the moon's south pole, which is comparable in area to Washington (D.C.). “We want to go there to hone the skills needed to go to Mars. And when you realize that there are very few parking spots to access this training area, it creates a sense of urgency and we have to [act quickly] because the Chinese are going to go to the same places. They are collaborating with the Russians. They're going to put a nuclear reactor there, and they could potentially deprive us of this training site that is essential to America's space ambitions,” Isaacman said.

The head of NASA said that “there was a time when we tried to please everyone.” Isaacman noted that as part of the lunar program, the United States entered into lucrative contracts with Italy and Japan.

The publication notes that the role of the European Space Agency (ESA), a longtime partner of NASA, still remains uncertain.