US and China consult on safety as their ships sail to Mars

BEIJING (AP) – As their respective spacecraft headed to Mars, China and the United States held consultations earlier this year in a series of somewhat unusual exchanges between the rivals.

The Chinese National Space Agency confirmed Wednesday that it had had working meetings and communications with NASA from January to March “to ensure flight safety” of their craft.

U.S. law prohibits almost all contact between NASA and China due to concerns about the theft of technology and the secretive and military-backed nature of the Chinese space program.

However, exceptions can be made when NASA can certify to Congress that it has safeguards in place to protect information, NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in a video meeting this week. last.

Jurczyk said the most recent exchange was about China providing orbital and other data for its mission to Mars so it can analyze the risk of collision. “We have targeted engagement with them,” he said.

His remarks were first reported by the SpaceNews website.

Jurczyk added that it will be up to the Biden administration and Congress to determine whether and how the United States engages with China in non-military space activities as part of the country’s overall Chinese strategy.

“As the administration and Congress set these policies, we look forward to how we can contribute to civil space dialogue and collaboration with China,” he said.

The area around Mars has become a bit more crowded this year with the arrival of spacecraft from the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates.

NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February and began exploration. The Chinese Tianwen-1 is in orbit around Mars for a landing in May or June. The UAE craft is only in orbit and will not attempt to land.