Sci-Edu
UPDATED: 11:00, September 26, 2006
China-US space co-op set for lift-off http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200609/26/eng20060926_306420.html
Collaboration between the United States and China on space programmes has "hardly begun," and the two sides desire to build closer ties.
This was the message delivered during the landmark visit of Michael Griffin, the first National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator to visit China.
He arrived in Beijing on Saturday to talk with Sun Laiyan, administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and leaves for Shanghai today for another four-day visit.
"With this visit, the US is taking the first step towards helping establish closer relations with the space programme of China," Griffin told reporters at the US Embassy yesterday. "But again, collaboration on human missions would be well down the road."
Speaking about his talks with Sun, the NASA chief said: "We have agreed we'll continue governmental discussions between NASA and the CNSA at least once a year."
He said the two sides were exploring the idea of starting a working group in areas such as earth science, climate research, data sharing on various science missions, and robotic explorations.
"We believe that might be a productive thing to do, and we are going to explore it."
Anyhow, Griffin said: " I don't think the collaboration has been proceeding at too fast a pace. We are at the start rather than at the end. So we need to let it evolve."
The top US space official said China had clearly made "enormous strides" in a very short period of time in developing its space programme.
Source: China Daily
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