<p>China on Monday rejected as an irresponsible smear a warning from the chief of NASA that China might "take over" the moon as part of a military programme, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space.</p>.<p>China has stepped up the pace of its space programme in the past decade, with an exploration of the moon a focus. China made its first lunar uncrewed landing in 2013 and expects to launch rockets powerful enough to send astronauts to the moon towards the end of this decade.</p>.<p>"We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: 'It's ours now and you stay out'," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told German newspaper Bild in an interview published on Saturday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/astronaut-study-reveals-effects-of-space-travel-on-human-bones-1123256.html">Astronaut study reveals effects of space travel on human bones </a></strong></p>.<p>The US space agency chief said China's space programme was a military one and that China had stolen ideas and technology from others.</p>.<p>"This is not the first time that the head of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has ignored the facts and spoken irresponsibly about China," said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.</p>.<p>"The US side has constantly constructed a smear campaign against China's normal and reasonable outer space endeavours, and China firmly opposes such irresponsible remarks."</p>.<p>China has always promoted the building of a shared future for humanity in outer space and opposed its weaponisation and any arms race in space, he said.</p>.<p>NASA, under its Artemis programme, plans to send a crewed mission to orbit the moon in 2024 and make a crewed landing near the lunar south pole by 2025.</p>.<p>China is planning uncrewed missions to the moon's south pole sometime this decade. </p>
<p>China on Monday rejected as an irresponsible smear a warning from the chief of NASA that China might "take over" the moon as part of a military programme, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space.</p>.<p>China has stepped up the pace of its space programme in the past decade, with an exploration of the moon a focus. China made its first lunar uncrewed landing in 2013 and expects to launch rockets powerful enough to send astronauts to the moon towards the end of this decade.</p>.<p>"We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: 'It's ours now and you stay out'," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told German newspaper Bild in an interview published on Saturday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/astronaut-study-reveals-effects-of-space-travel-on-human-bones-1123256.html">Astronaut study reveals effects of space travel on human bones </a></strong></p>.<p>The US space agency chief said China's space programme was a military one and that China had stolen ideas and technology from others.</p>.<p>"This is not the first time that the head of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has ignored the facts and spoken irresponsibly about China," said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.</p>.<p>"The US side has constantly constructed a smear campaign against China's normal and reasonable outer space endeavours, and China firmly opposes such irresponsible remarks."</p>.<p>China has always promoted the building of a shared future for humanity in outer space and opposed its weaponisation and any arms race in space, he said.</p>.<p>NASA, under its Artemis programme, plans to send a crewed mission to orbit the moon in 2024 and make a crewed landing near the lunar south pole by 2025.</p>.<p>China is planning uncrewed missions to the moon's south pole sometime this decade. </p>