China Invites International Scientists to its Future Space Station (Nepal Can Apply Too)

China is planning to open its next space outpost to the world. The plan is to have it in the orbit by 2022.

Why it matters:

• According to UN’s Office for Outer Space Affair, China is using this station to promote international cooperation as space diplomacy.
• UN member states can now apply to visit the China Space Station, as it will be called, to perform experiments. Nepal, being a member state, can also apply for visit to the station.
• For the moment, China is only considering applications proposals for three experiments, those developing their own payloads, those who will use facilities provided by China and those who bring their own material up for research outside the space station.

What they are saying:

• “The China Space Station belongs not only to China but also to the world. Just as the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 proclaimed, the exploration and use of outer space shall be a common province for humankind. Outer space should become a new domain for promoting the common interests of everyone, rather than a new battlefield for competition and confrontation,” said China’s representative to the UN, Ambassador Shi Zhongjun, in a statement announcing the initiative.

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