China invites UN member states to use space station
Print Edition
CHINA has announced that all member states of the United Nations are welcome to cooperate with China to jointly utilize its future China Space Station.
“China Space Station belongs not only to China, but also to the world,” Shi Zhongjun, China’s ambassador to UN and other international organizations in Vienna, said on Monday. “All countries, regardless of their size and level of development, can participate in the cooperation on an equal footing.”
Interested public and private organizations, including institutes, academies, universities and private enterprises with scientific orientations, can identify their appropriate models of cooperation on board China Space Station, may it be the growth of a space plant, or even the accommodation of an astronaut, said the ambassador.
China Space Station, expected to be launched in 2019, and completed and brought into operation by 2022, will be the world’s first space station that is developed by a developing country and open for cooperation with all UN member states.
Consisting of one core module and two experiment modules, the space station will have the capacity to accommodate up to three astronauts at the same time and maximum six during rotation.
Operating in low-Earth orbit about 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, China Space Station will be used in a wide range of research fields, including space medicine, life science, biotechnology, microgravity science, Earth science and space technology.
“Through the vehicle of China Space Station, we would like to build up a model of sincere mutual beneficial cooperation among countries in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space,” Shi said.
As a developing country itself, China stands ready to help other developing countries in their development of space technology and space capacity building in particular, he said.
Guided by the idea of a shared future for mankind, China Space Station will be a home that is inclusive and open, a home of peace and goodwill, and a home of cooperation for mutual benefit, he added.
Priyani Wijesekera, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the UN, believes China Space Station would benefit developing states like Sri Lanka which lacks financial means and expertise to launch such a project.
“It’s very interesting, and we are looking forward to cooperating with China,” she said.
Simonetta Di Pippo, director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, welcomed China’s move to share its “state-of-the-art space program” which is “one of the most holistic and technologically advanced in the world.”
“With the global challenges we all face here on Earth, it is therefore important to foster collaboration and cooperation in the field of space activities,” she said.
The director said technical advances in space have broader benefits to all humankind, as space is a driver and a tool for socio-economic sustainable development.
In 2016, the UN confirmed its partnership with the China Manned Space Agency by signing a memorandum of understanding to allow “Access to Space” to all UN member states, developing countries in particular, to address all 17 Sustainable Development Goals by jointly utilizing China Space Station.
Following Monday’s announcement, the UNOOSA extended official letters to all Permanent Missions in Vienna and New York as well as offices of the UN Development Program, kicking off a three-month application period for public organizations, industries and private sector organizations with scientific orientation.
“By working together, the sky is no longer the limit,” said Di Pippo. “I believe that all the efforts that we are making together will be highly beneficial to our cooperation, to all member states of the United Nations, and to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
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