US Researchers: "China Surpasses US in Space Exploration as US Cuts Budget"

As the United States is cutting its space budget, American researchers have analyzed that China is taking the lead in the competition for crewed space exploration and habitation.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong on September 14, researchers from Purdue University, Northeastern University, Utah State University, the University of Utah, as well as NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Ames Research Center, stated this in a paper published last month in the journal "npj Microgravity."

The paper argued that while China and Russia are joining forces to build a lunar research base, the United States has restricted research support in areas such as Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS), which has created a "significant gap" in NASA's current space habitation capabilities.

Existing space life support systems, including those on the International Space Station (ISS), require transport missions for consumables such as water and food. However, for long-term crewed missions beyond Earth's orbit, such as on the Moon or Mars, not only are logistics technology and costs a concern, but the effects of radiation and microgravity on the human body must also be considered.

The researchers emphasized that, for this reason, BLSS-which recycles and generates resources such as oxygen, food, and water-has long been considered more suitable for long-duration human missions in deep space. However, both government and private sector support for research into this technology has been lacking, which has limited the goals of crewed lunar exploration programs.

The researchers further noted that a bioregenerative approach, including the development of sustainable agricultural systems for space exploration, was a focus of NASA research in the 1990s. However, after the early 2000s, U.S. priorities shifted, resulting in budget cuts, and the remaining research funding is expected to be further reduced in next year's budget proposal under the Donald Trump administration.

In contrast, the researchers explained that the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has adopted and developed the achievements of American research over the past 20 years. For example, "Yuegong 1," the first Chinese experimental facility for permanent artificial closed-ecosystem life support at Beihang University, is equipped with plant cultivation rooms, waste treatment facilities, a dining area, and sleeping quarters.

The American researchers pointed out that, aside from China's efforts, there are currently no official programs aiming for a fully integrated, closed bioregenerative structure to establish habitats on the Moon or Mars, nor are there programs for sustaining long-term human presence in space. They noted that the plans recently announced by the China National Space Administration have surpassed those of NASA and its allies in terms of scale and excellence.