Charles Bolden testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on July 8, 2009. (Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

(CNSNews.com) – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is in China this week, on a five-day visit that has drawn opposition from some Republican members of Congress unhappy about the prospect of U.S.-Chinese cooperation in space.

Chinese media outlets have given scant attention to Bolden’s visit, which began at the weekend, in stark contrast to the full coverage given to his predecessor when Michael Griffin in 2006 became the first NASA head to visit China.

The Web site of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), one of the host organizations, appears to carry no information about the visit.

U.S. and Chinese leaders agreed late last year that Bolden and his Chinese counterpart should pay reciprocal visits during 2010.

In Beijing last November, President Obama and President Hu Jintao, in a joint communiqué, called for “expanding discussions on space science cooperation and starting a dialogue on human space flight and space exploration, based on the principles of transparency, reciprocity and mutual benefit.”

In one of the only Chinese media reports to appear ahead of Bolden’s visit, the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times quoted a Chinese astronautics specialist as saying areas of bilateral cooperation could include GPS data-sharing, environmental protection and climate monitoring.

On the eve of the trip, four GOP lawmakers asked Bolden to brief Congress when he returns.

“As you know, we have serious concerns about the nature and goals of China’s space program and strongly oppose any cooperation between NASA and China,” the four wrote in a letter. “In light of the short notice and scant information provided before your departure to China, we respectfully request a full briefing with you upon your return.”

Apart from details on subjects to be discussed and facilities visited, the members of Congress stressed that they wanted Bolden’s “personal assurance that at no time during your trip there were any discussions of cooperation on human space flight activities.”

The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Frank Wolf (Va.), John Culberson (Texas.) and Robert Aderholt (Ala.) – all members of the House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the NASA budget – as well as Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), a vocal critic of Beijing’s policies.

“China’s intentions for its space program are questionable at best, and the American public deserves full disclosure about any discussions between that country and ours,” they wrote.

Transparency

China in 2003 became the third country in the world (after the U.S. and the former Soviet Union) to independently send a human into orbit. A two-man flight took place in 2005, followed by a 2008 mission incorporating a spacewalk. This month China launched a lunar probe tasked to take pictures of the moon’s surface, ahead of an unmanned landing planned for 2012.

A Chinese Long March rocket carrying a satellite payload launches from a facility in Shanxi province on Dec. 15, 2008 (Photo: Xinhua/China National Space Administration)

In an exchange of letters earlier this month, Wolf told Bolden, “It should go without saying that NASA has no business cooperating with the Chinese regime on human spaceflight. China is taking an increasingly aggressive posture globally, and their interests rarely intersect with ours.”

“I need not remind you that no such planning or coordination has been approved by the Congress,” added the Virginia lawmaker, who stands in line to become the chairman of the Commerce, Justice and Science subcommittee should the Republicans win control of the House in next month’s election.

Wolf also raised the visit by Bolden’s Chinese counterpart, due to take place in November. He requested a list of the NASA facilities to be visited and the security arrangements that would be in place.

In his response, Bolden described his China trip as “introductory.” As for the reciprocal visit, he told Wolf no strategic or classified information would be relayed, and that NASA’s hosting of the Chinese visitors “will be guided by the degree of transparency and openness that is displayed during my visit.”

Culberson also wrote to Obama this month, expressing “grave concerns about the nature and goals of China’s space program.”

“Because of the military nature of China’s space program, Congress has set limitations on cooperation and discussions on human space flight collaboration, particularly without adequate consultation with Congress,” he pointed out.

When Bolden’s predecessor, Griffin, traveled to China in Sept. 2006, he told a press briefing in Shanghai there were no plans then in the pipeline for cooperation with China in human spaceflight.

The issue of transparency came up during the briefing, and although Griffin was diplomatic in his comments, it emerged that he had chosen not to visit China’s Jiuquan launch center in the remote Gobi desert because had he done so the tour would have been restricted to viewing the launch pad.

“We were told we would not have access to the buildings and facilities where spacecraft were being built and tested and prepared for launch,” he said. “I’m not a tourist, this business is in fact my profession, and the interesting part of the visit would have been to see the engineering facilities and to discuss those processes … I have seen a lot of launch pads in my time and didn’t need to go that far to see another one.”

Satellite shootdown

A 2009 Pentagon report to Congress on Chinese military power said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was acquiring technologies to improve its space-based “Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance” – elements that were important in winning modern wars.

“China is developing the ability to attack an adversary’s space assets,” the report said.

It cited a PLA analysis of U.S. and coalition military operations, which stated that “destroying or capturing satellites and other sensors … will deprive the opponents of initiatives on the battlefield and [make it difficult] for them to bring their precision guided weapons into full play.”

U.S. concerns deepened in early 2007 – less than four months after Griffin’s visit – when China launched a ground-based ballistic missile to destroy a Chinese weather satellite in orbit, some 500 miles above the Earth. Again, China become just the third country, after the U.S. and Soviet Union, to shoot down an object in space.

The successful test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon prompted the then head of U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Timothy Keating, to remark that the action “is not necessarily a clear indication of a desire for peaceful utilization in space.”

The 2009 Pentagon report said the ASAT launch “demonstrates that the PLA’s interest in counterspace systems is more than theoretical.”

“In addition to the ‘kinetic kill’ capability demonstrated by the ASAT test, the PLA is developing the ability to jam, blind, or otherwise disable satellites and their terrestrial support infrastructure,” it said.

Ahead of Bolden’s visit this week, he did get some positive response on Capitol Hill, from members of a bipartisan U.S. China-Working Group.

“U.S.-China space cooperation is an important piece of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship and we hope your trip proves successful,” Republican Reps. Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Charles Boustany (La.) and Democrat Rick Larsen (Wash.) said in a letter to the NASA head.

“In our view, space cooperation presents an opportunity to improve the diplomatic, political and military atmosphere between the United States and China.”

A former astronaut and Marine Corps aviator, Bolden was nominated as NASA administrator in May 2009.

He caused a stir over the summer when he told al Jazeera television that one of three priorities Obama had set for him involved outreach to the Muslim world. The other two were inspiring children about math and science and “expand[ing] our international relationships.”