According
to the Report, Jared Isaakman, head of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), gave such an assessment at a hearing in the US Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Recalling
China's success in space research, Isaakman said that he no longer considers
China to be an almost equal rival to the United States.
"They
are getting closer to catching up with us. They are moving forward with
incredible speed. I think everything we knew about it six months ago is already
outdated: they've moved forward two generations in that time.
NASA must
change, develop a unified approach, restore key competencies and so-called
"muscle memory." In those decades when we didn't have a geopolitical
rival capable of competing with us in space, we could try to please everyone.
But if we continue to act like this now, no one will be happy in the end,
because we will see how the taikonauts will land on the moon before us,"
he said.
