China Space Station and International Cooperation

China has launched the first phase of its space station. The selected international plans to board the plane could be ready for flight by the end of 2022.

In 1961, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth and began the era of manned spaceflight. Manned space activities have since changed in two ways: space exploration, such as the Apollo program; And scientific research in space, such as the Mir and the International Space Station (ISS). Both tracks are rooted in the principle of international cooperation, which brings together the world’s brightest and best science and technology.

China was not involved in these early space missions. But in recent years, it has made rapid progress in space science, space technology and space use. China is now in the process of building its own space station.

The assembly of the main body of the China Space Station (CSS) will be completed in 2022, making the CSS fully operational. The research project on CSS is in four areas: space life science and human research; Micro Gravity Physical Science; Astronomy and Earth Sciences And demonstration of new space technology. These categories cover dozens of research articles. Over 1000 experiments are now swinging for the opportunity to embark on CSS.

To support this research, CSS House 22 experimental rack modules. Each experiment rack is a highly integrated laboratory and can accommodate research in one or more areas. Outside the modules, devices such as a high-energy radiation detection device will be installed, and the China Space Station Telescope (CSST) will fly in the same orbit that is the core of CSS. Most of these instruments can be updated or replaced, which provides more possibilities for future scientific research and international cooperation.

Even before the CSS was built, international cooperation was moving forward. Activities have been carried out in collaboration with organizations including the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and space agencies from Europe, Russia, Germany, Italy, France and others. Hundreds of experts from different countries have participated in the CSS scientific and space use mission.

As far back as 2014, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) noted that the Chinese and European scientific communities have common research interests: their respective science and use mission plans have overlapping concepts.

CMSA and ESA have previously jointly selected 10 cooperative science projects involving 158 teams from 23 countries, covering topics in space biology, fluid dynamics and materials science. These 10 projects are supported by ESA from 2018 on flight opportunities, such as parabolic aircraft flight, sounding rocket and ISS Columbus module. With the launch of CSS, China will continue to support these cooperative projects.

The CSS called on all UN member states to cooperate. In Vienna in June 2019, CMSA and UNOOSA jointly announced that 9 projects proposed by 17 countries, out of 42 proposals, have been selected through numerous joint selection tours, and will fly on CSS. ۔