China’s space station to welcome cooperation
Print Edition
SCIENTISTS from around the world will be able to utilize China’s space station when it is completed around 2022, the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference in Beijing heard yesterday.
Wei Chuanfeng, a researcher at the Institute of Manned Space System Engineering, said a strategic framework had been drafted with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to offer opportunities to UN members.
Under the framework, China will open up its experimental resources on the station to serve payloads from other countries. UN members will be able to conduct scientific and technological experiments, Wei said.
Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut and also deputy director of the space engineering office, said the station’s first core module will be launched in 2019, followed by two experiment modules. Astronauts will be able to stay in the station for up to six months at a time.
The conference also heard that China is to offer more opportunities for private companies to participate in lunar and Mars exploration.
Tian Yulong, secretary-general of the China National Space Administration, said commercial aerospace programs had been carried out in low Earth orbit, but those in deep space would be a challenge. “In deep space exploration, we need to provide a favorable environment for middle and small-sized enterprises,” he said.
At present, space exploration is mostly invested and operated by government bodies and institutions. Encouraging private investment in space exploration has long been a challenge for countries worldwide.
Tian said many Chinese companies had expressed an interest in taking part in space exploration. In the past two years, more than 10 enterprises have been engaged in micro-satellite research and development and about 100 have worked on the development and use of satellite low Earth orbit data.
More than 20 companies have been listed based on the business possibilities of aerospace technology, he said, adding that there were wide uses for space exploration technology.
Tian said the administration is “working on enabling enterprises to become the main force of technical innovation by creating favorable laws and policies.”
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe will land in the Mons Rumker region of the moon, and take samples back to Earth by the end of this year.
The site is an isolated volcanic formation in the northwest part of the moon’s near side.
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