In a public announcement made on Tuesday by China’s new service Xinhua, Chinese officials said they stand ready to help other developing countries in their development of space technology and space capacity building in particular.
“CSS belongs not only to China but also to the world,” said Shi Zhongjun, China’s ambassador to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna. “All countries, regardless of their size and level of development, can participate in the cooperation on an equal footing.”
Some may see this dramatic turn of events as a rebuke and a soft power threat to the dominance of space in the last several decades by the U.S. and Russia. As ArsTechnica points out, by law, the US forbids direct involvement between China’s space program and NASA.
Many scientists at NASA want to change this, but Congress has established such rules to prevent technology transfer. And with the White House wanting to end most of NASA’s $3 to $4 billion a year support for station activities, this seems to be the perfect time for China to offer an enticing alternative.
Zhongjun cited the 50-year-old Outer Space Treaty, which maintains that the exploration of space should be peaceful and benefit all countries. And all United Nations member states have three options they can use for orbital experiments in the first round of opportunities:
1. Conducting experiments inside the CSS by utilizing experiment payloads developed by selected applicants.
2. Conducting experiments inside the CSS by utilizing experiment facilities provided by China.
3. Conducting experiments outside the CSS by utilizing payloads developed by selected applicants.
2016 UNOOSA and CMSA Memorandum of Understanding
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 to work together to develop the space capabilities of United Nations Member States via opportunities onboard the CSS.
The Announcement of Opportunity for this initiative, as well as application instructions, were released at a ceremony hosted by UNOOSA and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna, Austria on Monday, May 28, 2018.
“Since the launch of the first Chinese satellite in 1970, China has become one of the major space-faring nations. Its state of the art space programme, including the well-established Manned Space Programme, is one of the most holistic and technologically advanced in the world. Such technical advances in space have broader benefits to all of us, as space is a driver and a tool for socio-economic sustainable development. With the global challenges we all face here on Earth, it is important to foster collaboration and cooperation in space activities. This is space diplomacy in action. I appreciate China’s partnership and support on this exciting initiative, and look forward to seeing a number of interesting applications from United Nations Member States,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA.
A glimpse inside the CSS
According to Popular Mechanics, with making the announcement on the international endeavor, an oft-overlooked 30-page handbook that details the architecture and operation of the CSS was also released. It must have been for the news media because I am sure there are many thousands of pages pertaining to the new CSS that is expected to be ready in 2022.
The CSS will be smaller than the International Space Station (ISS), coming in at about 55 tons. Its mass could increase to 100 tons or more when several manned spacecraft and cargo vessels are docked with it. It will have room for three astronauts and could accommodate up to six. By comparison, the ISS has a mass of 460 tons and is fully staffed with six astronauts.
The CSS will be in orbit at a nearly identical altitude in low-Earth orbit as the ISS – or about 225 miles up. It will have a different inclination from the ISS. Inclination refers to the angle where an object in space resides as measured against the equator. This also says something about how the CSS will be run, according to a National Research Council document.
“In practice, the orbital inclination of a space station cannot be smaller than the latitude of the most-northern launch facility used to support assembly of or logistics for the space station. For a given launch site, the amount of useful payload that can be delivered to a space station decreases as the orbital inclination increases. Maximum launch vehicle capacity is achieved when the orbital inclination of the space station is the same as the latitude of the launch site,” reads the document.
ISS sits at a 51.6-degree inclination, the lowest inclination that the Russians can reach with their Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. The easier the insertion, the more cargo the spacecraft can carry into orbit.
The CSS will have an orbital inclination of about 41 degrees. This matches the latitude of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Chinese spaceport that will deliver crew and cargo aboard the Long March CZ-2F launch system. Bottom line? The inclination will be ideal for launches from Chinese spaceports but will be difficult for American and European launch providers.
As for experiments aboard the CSS, China will have final say on any and all science projects. The document is very clear on this requirement. “International Partners can only propose experiment schemes such as experimental samples, experimental units or experimental designs independently or in cooperation with the China Manned Space Agency and conduct experiments by using the experimental facilities or exposed payloads already developed by China or by adding extra relevant facilities.”
As more is learned about this new venture, we will keep you updated.
