China News Agency, Beijing, March 14th. Question: The Millennium "Tiangong" Dream Comes True, How Can China Help Global Space Exploration?
——Interview with Giuseppe Rebaldi, President of Moon Village Association
China News Agency reporter Guo Chaokai Ma Shuisha
The 30-year Achievement Exhibition of China's Manned Spaceflight Project, which was recently exhibited in Beijing, comprehensively and systematically demonstrated the 30-year development history and construction achievements of China's manned spaceflight project to the public.
It took several generations of Chinese astronauts 30 years to complete the "three-step" strategic goal of the manned spaceflight project, and built the "Tiangong" space station, which was built and operated independently.
The millennium "Tiangong" dream has come true, what is the significance of China's space station opening up to the world?
How will the future benefit global space science research?
How does the long-term stay of astronauts in orbit help the subsequent manned moon landing?
Recently, China News Agency "Dongxiwen" interviewed Giuseppe Reibaldi, chairman of the Moon Village Association, to look at the global role of China's space station from an international perspective.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
The Chinese space station is a remarkable achievement
China News Agency reporter: What do you think of China's independent construction of a space station, and what significance does this have for global space exploration?
Rebaldi:
The Chinese space station is a remarkable achievement, built in a short period of time.
It took more than ten years for the International Space Station to be officially completed, and its structure is relatively more complicated.
Compared with the International Space Station, the Chinese space station is smaller and more compact.
The Chinese space station completed the construction of the three modules with a small number of launches.
China can make full use of the space station, which also provides possibilities for international cooperation.
In February 2023, the audience watched the model of the Chinese space station Tianhe core module and the space station assembly at the 30-year achievement exhibition of China's manned spaceflight engineering held by the National Museum of China.
Photo by Chen Xiaogen
China News Agency reporter: The Chinese space station is regarded by the outside world as an "outpost" for China's exploration of deep space. How will the completion of the space station help China to carry out manned moon landings and deep space exploration in the future?
Rebaldi:
Although Chinese astronauts have successfully entered space nearly 20 years ago, China still needs to accumulate experience in the long-term residence of astronauts in orbit and the operation of space stations.
As for carrying out lunar exploration research, everyone knows that survival in space is full of challenges, so China needs to learn how to carry out space station operations and astronaut survival in low-Earth orbit.
Survival exploration in low-Earth orbit is the first step to manned landing on the moon.
Chinese astronauts have completed short-term and medium-term on-orbit stays before. After the space station is completed, China can accumulate experience in astronauts' long-term on-orbit stays and lay the foundation for manned moon landings.
In February 2023, "Chasing Dreams and Asking the Sky—Exhibition of 30 Years of China's Manned Spaceflight Engineering" opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing.
Photo by Hou Yu
China's space station provides new platform for international space science cooperation
China News Agency reporter: China's space station is open to the world for cooperation. Nine projects from 17 countries have become the first batch of scientific experiments selected for China's space station. How does the Chinese space station's cooperation with foreign countries in experiments help humans explore space?
Rebaldi:
The completion of the Chinese space station will make space science experiments more continuous.
China has reached an agreement with the United Nations, which is open to all UN member states.
These cooperations are not only aimed at major space powers, but also at developing countries with great potential, but due to financial and technological constraints, they have not been able to fully participate in the space industry.
The International Space Station has been in operation for more than 20 years, but the number of experiments conducted in microgravity is still limited.
The Chinese space station can obtain more reliable results by repeating some scientific experiments carried out by the International Space Station in the past and increasing statistical samples and data.
I hope that the International Space Station, the Chinese Space Station and future commercial space stations can complement each other scientifically.
In November 2022, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, the interior of the "China Space Station" model (1:1) exhibited at the 14th China Air Show.
Photo by Chen Jimin
China News Agency reporter: China welcomes foreign astronauts to enter the Chinese space station to carry out international cooperation. What attempts and efforts do you think the Chinese space station can make in terms of international cooperation in the future?
Rebaldi:
The Chinese space station is a huge asset, but many people don't realize it.
There is a saying in China that "talk less and do more", but I think more people should be made aware of China's aerospace achievements.
Open collaboration is important, including opening up to the public, which can spark public and even national interest.
At this stage, Chinese astronauts often communicate with the Chinese people. In the future, if they want to strengthen international cooperation, Chinese astronauts can interact with a wider audience outside China on the work and life of the space station.
In October 2022, Liu Yang, an astronaut of the Shenzhou 14 flight crew, demonstrated space rice seeds in the third lesson of the "Tiangong Classroom" held on the China Space Station.
Photo by Qu Honglun
China News Agency reporter: You have worked for the European Space Agency for 35 years. What do you think of the cooperation between the two sides in the space field?
Rebaldi:
As you said, I worked for the European Space Agency for 35 years in various capacities.
In the past 16 years, I have mainly worked on the International Space Station project. Unfortunately, during this period, I have not had the opportunity to cooperate with scientists in the Chinese aerospace field.
Some European astronauts have participated in initial training in China.
Recently, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (Samantha Cristoforetti) has been very active. When she was performing a mission on the International Space Station, she posted a set of space photography on social media with ancient Chinese characters.
In my opinion, China is a major player in space activities such as moon and low earth orbit exploration.
Many countries are eager to carry out space cooperation with China.
International community should use lunar resources peacefully
China News Agency reporter: China's new generation of manned launch vehicles is expected to be capable of sending Chinese people to the moon around 2030. What difficulties do you think China still needs to overcome to land a manned man on the moon?
Rebaldi:
The carrying capacity of the rocket is one of the factors that affect whether humans can land on the moon.
China is developing a new generation of manned launch vehicles, with the aim of further enhancing the rocket's carrying capacity, so as to send probes and astronauts to the moon.
Manned missions to the moon should not be implemented just once or twice, but should be sustainable, especially economically sustainable.
No matter which country lands on the moon, it should not just plant their own national flags on the moon, but apply a broader thinking to develop the land-moon economy.
In September 2021, in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, audiences watched the return capsule and parachute of Chang'e-5 at the 13th China Air Show.
Photo by Chen Jimin
China News Agency reporter: China proposes to build an international lunar scientific research station, and the Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions will survey and select sites for the construction of the international lunar scientific research station. What are the difficulties in building an international lunar scientific research station? What technologies need to be broken through?
Rebaldi:
The international lunar scientific research station proposed by China will be built in cooperation with Russia. At present, it is an unmanned scientific research and exploration project.
Compared with the ongoing lunar exploration missions, the International Lunar Research Station will make great progress.
In fact, China has made great achievements in the field of lunar exploration.
As the chairman of the Moon Village Association, we deal with moon-related researchers around the world, and hope that our Chinese counterparts can share more information about lunar exploration and carry out more cooperation and exchanges with international counterparts.
The construction of an international lunar scientific research station faces many challenges, especially in the process of international cooperation.
The lunar environment is complex, and lunar scientific research and exploration face many difficulties.
However, compared with other countries, China has mastered the relevant technologies of lunar exploration, and China's lunar rover is still operating on the lunar surface, which also verifies China's lunar exploration technology.
The International Lunar Research Station is a scientific research base mainly based on detectors, and it can also prepare for China's manned landing on the moon.
These probes will form the International Lunar Research Station, and are expected to become the starting point of the future "Moon Village".
The "Moon Village" is not a lunar base of a certain country, but a base for the international community to peacefully utilize lunar resources.
In September 2021, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, the "Chang'e-5 Probe" exhibited at the 13th China Air Show.
Photo by Chen Jimin
China News Agency reporter: While promoting the construction of an international lunar scientific research station, China is also actively carrying out international cooperation. The United States also plans to build a "Deep Space Gateway" spaceport in lunar orbit. How should the international community cooperate in lunar exploration in the future?
Rebaldi:
Many aerospace powers have their own plans for lunar exploration.
For the Moon Village Association, we are committed to allowing all parties to communicate with each other and strengthen cooperation.
In my opinion, international cooperation in the field of space is necessary.
Although each country has its own plans, there is a level playing field where countries can communicate with each other.
In the field of lunar exploration, we urgently need to establish a dialogue and coordination mechanism.
In this regard, the Moon Village Association has been active.
We have prepared a lot of material and brought it to the United Nations for relevant discussions.
China is an important participant in lunar and deep space exploration in the world, and we hope China can actively participate in it.
(over)
Respondent profile:
Giuseppe Reibaldi (Giuseppe Reibaldi), Chairman of the Moon Village Association, Executive Secretary of the Hague Working Group on Outer Space Resources Governance, Senior Space Policy Advisor.
He worked for the European Space Agency for 35 years (1977-2012), and has also served as the director of the Manned Spaceflight Department of the International Academy of Astronautics since 2013, and has published more than 100 works.