Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 23 May (BelTA) – Belarus invites China to create a space satellite together, BelTA learned from Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) Vladimir Gusakov on 23 May.

The official said: “China has a vast space exploration program. The country has more than one satellite for the remote sensing of Earth and for communication. This is why I have a concrete proposal regarding participation in the construction of our satellite and the fulfillment of research projects once the satellite is operational. A Belarusian-Chinese satellite is possible in the future. We are now designing a new satellite together with Russian scientists. But the satellite after this one or maybe in addition to this one may be designed in association with Chinese scientists. It is a broad field for work.”

The chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus pointed out that there is a great demand for space imagery now. In Belarus alone photos taken by the space satellite for the remote sensing of Earth are used by 11 ministries. There is an interest in using them abroad, too.

President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Bai Chunli confirmed interest in cooperation in space industry as he visited the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on 23 May. “The Chinese Academy of Sciences has a large potential in the area of space exploration. The academy has created an innovative center for satellite research. We have successfully designed 36 satellites,” said Bai Chunli.

A delegation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is in Belarus on 22-26 May. It is the first visit of the head of China’s largest research institution to the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The key purpose of the visit is to discuss promising avenues and mechanisms for advancing cooperation between the academies of Belarus and China.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the supreme research institution of the People’s Republic of China, the leading center for fundamental research in the area of natural sciences in the country. Nearly 70,000 people participate in research efforts in the academy these days, including about 56,000 professional researchers and scientists. The Chinese Academy of Sciences comprises 104 research institutes, 12 industry-specific academies, and three universities.