Nasa chief warns China is masking military presence in space with civilian programs

The head of Nasa has warned of China bolstering its space capabilities by using civilian programs to mask military objectives, cautioning that Washington must remain vigilant. "China has made extraordinary strides especially in the last 10 years, but they are very, very secretive," Nasa administrator Bill Nelson told lawmakers on Capitol Hill. "We believe that a lot of their so-called civilian space program is a military program. And I think, in effect, we are in a race," Nelson added. He said he hoped Beijing would "come to its senses and understand that civilian space is for peaceful uses", but added:…