China Proposes Space Cooperation to International Partners

China is looking to expand international cooperation in deep space exploration, according to China National Space Administration (CNSA) Thursday in Beijing.

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The CNSA invited international partners for cooperation on its upcoming Chang'e-6 and an astroid exploration mission Thursday afternoon in Beijing.

China announced its cooperation plan for the future Chang'e-6 mission, offering to carry a total 20 kg of solicited payloads.

On Jan. 3, China's Chang'e - 4 became the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the far side of the moon. This success marked a new stage in the country's deep space exploration. It's also a step forward in China's international cooperation in space.

China’s Change - 4 Probe carried containers filled with soil that contain various seeds. The team of scientists has announced that the cotton seeds, rapeseed and potato seeds have all sprouted.

Meanwhile, the scientific data from international payloads onboard Chang'e - 4 have been delivered to the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany.

"It is not the only cooperation that we have with China in the field of space, of course. We have quite a few programs in earth observation, using satellite data for agricultural purposes, for monitoring environmental conditions and so on. Those are programs that we are much looking forward to continuing and to expanding in the future," said Taake Manning, Netherlands Counsellor for Science and Technology in China.

Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center of CNSA, said China has signed memorandums in space exploration cooperation with dozens of countries so far. "In recent years, we have also vigorously carried out exchanges with international space agencies and foreign research institutes. China has already signed letters of intent for cooperation with dozens of countries. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia on lunar and deep space exploration and an agreement with France this year on the Chang'e-6 carrier cooperation," said Pei.