UN Space Director Praises China's Contributions and Collaborative Efforts in Space

UN Space Director Praises China's Contributions and Collaborative Efforts in Space
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 22, 2024

Aarti Holla-Maini, the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), recently commended China for its significant contributions to space exploration and the ongoing collaboration with her organization to utilize space technologies for the global good.

In a special interview with Xinhua prior to her upcoming visit to China for a sequence of space-related events, Holla-Maini expressed her anticipation and readiness to learn more about China's advanced space achievements. "China has always been on my radar," she remarked, highlighting her admiration for China as a highly regarded spacefaring nation, which boasts everything from sophisticated launch systems and satellite navigation to ambitious projects like lunar exploration and its own space station.

The Tiangong space station, completed in 2022, is now in a phase of application and development, conducting various scientific studies, including those under international collaborations fostered between UNOOSA and the China Manned Space Agency since 2019.

China is also advancing its lunar exploration endeavors, currently in the fourth phase, which aims to establish the foundational model for the International Lunar Research Station. This phase includes the forthcoming launch of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe, tasked with gathering samples from the moon's far side.

During her first visit to China, Holla-Maini expects to deepen ties with the Chinese space community, coinciding with the celebration of Space Day of China on April 24 in Wuhan, where the first China-Latin America and the Caribbean Space Cooperation Forum will also take place.

She lauded the effective partnership between UNOOSA and China in enhancing capacities, minimizing disaster risks, and promoting global space cooperation which assists all nations, especially developing ones, in accessing space-based solutions.

China also supports space science and technology education as the host for the Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific, a decade-old UNOOSA-affiliated institution, and the UN-SPIDER office, which facilitates space technology in disaster management and emergency response.

Looking to the future, Holla-Maini hopes that China's space station and the planned lunar research station will make substantial contributions to international space exploration and research, with benefits widely shared for the betterment of humanity. She also seeks to enhance collaboration with China in providing space data access for tackling climate change and supporting sustainable development, particularly benefiting countries in the Global South.

In her role since June 2023, Holla-Maini aims to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals through initiatives like the China-proposed Global Security Initiative and Global Development Initiative.

Based on a Xinhua News Agency article