Congress warned that the U.S. faces a new space race with China

Congress warned that the U.S. faces a new space race with China

The United States has entered a consequential new era of competition with China in space - one that lawmakers said will shape global power, economic security and military advantage for generations.

House Science, Space and Technology Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., posed the issue during a hearing Thursday as a question for the future.

"Will humanity carry forward the American values of economic and political freedom, or those of the Chinese Communist Party? For generations the United States led humanity into space with unmatched ingenuity and without a true rival," Haridopolos asked.

During the hearing, witnesses warned of China's expanding space program. Members of both parties cast