NASA Administrator Bill Nelson recently expressed concerns over China's aims in space, and in particular, that China would, in some way, claim ownership over the moon and stop other countries from exploring it. In an interview with a German newspaper, Nelson cautioned, "We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: "It's ours now and you stay out." China immediately denounced the claims as a "lie."

This spat between the administrator of NASA and Chinese government officials comes at a time when both nations are actively working on missions to the moon—and China has not been shy about its lunar aspirations.

In 2019, China became the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon.

US President Joe Biden will Monday release one of the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful observatory ever sent into orbit and a leap forward in uncovering the secrets of the distant universe.

The unveiling will take place at 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) during a livestreamed event at the White House, official statements said, leaving the space community in a state of keen anticipation.

NASA revealed last week Webb's first targets included distant galaxies, bright nebulae and a faraway giant gas planet.

The most powerful space telescope ever built, James Webb is set to deliver its first full-color scientific images to the world Tuesday.

Here is an overview of this feat of human ingenuity, in five key figures.

More than 21 feet

The centerpiece of the observatory is its huge main mirror, measuring more than 21 feet (6.5 meters) in diameter and made up of 18 smaller, hexagonal-shaped mirrors.

The observatory also has four scientific instruments: cameras to take pictures of the cosmos, and spectrographs, which break down light to study which elements and molecules make up objects.