“Contemplate the infinite sky and share the constellations together.” This poetic phrase is the theme of China’s National Space Day celebrated last April. Within the framework of the event, the first Space Cooperation Forum between China and the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) also took place.
China-LAC space cooperation can be traced back to 1988, when China and Brazil signed a satellite agreement. 11 years later, in 1999, this cooperation resulted in the launch into orbit of the first China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS-1), also the first of China’s international satellite cooperation. For decades, China-LAC cooperation has not only promoted the development of space technology of both sides, but also brought tangible benefits to their people.
New dynamism for agricultural development
To develop agriculture well, it is essential to have complete and accurate information about the land. As an emblematic project of space cooperation between China and Venezuela, the Miranda satellite (also known as “VRSS-1”) launched by China, as the first remote sensing satellite of this South American country, has played a crucial role in calculating agricultural harvests and improve agricultural performance. Its successor, the Sucre satellite (also known as “VRSS-2”), has even more advanced capabilities, such as verifying the different states of land and crops, monitoring different pests and diseases and analyzing crop growth, inter alia. Thanks to these satellites, the efficiency of agricultural administration has been significantly improved. In this sense, space technology has given wings to the rapid and sustainable agricultural development of Venezuela.
Improving the well-being of the people
From bridging the digital divide to promoting social inclusion, China and LAC countries have been able to take advantage of space cooperation to raise the quality of life of people. In 2013, Bolivia’s Túpac Katari (TKSAT-1) satellite was launched into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. Since then, this satellite has allowed the people of the Andean country to have better access to telecommunications, the Internet and satellite television, while lowering the cost of these services to one-seventh of the previous price. With this satellite, Bolivian inhabitants, and even those from the most remote areas, can now watch programs from more than 30 television channels for free, including 2 educational channels. TKSAT-1, deservedly named after the nation’s hero, has made communications as accessible as water and air.
Better environmental conservation
The Earth is the common home for human beings. Protecting the environment is the challenge facing the international community, and also an important mission of China-LAC space cooperation. In 2007, the China National Space Administration joined the mechanism of the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters”, and has contributed to the global response to natural disasters with images provided by the CBERS series of satellites, launched through China and Brazil. Brazil, for its part, uses the data and images collected and transmitted by these satellites in a wide range of projects, such as identifying and reporting in real time cases of deforestation and forest fires, so that they can be monitored and protected. better the Amazon rainforest. Currently, the two countries are accelerating steps to develop CBERS-6, a satellite that with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) will further improve the monitoring of Brazilian biomes, especially the Amazon.
Joint talent training
China and LAC always attach high importance to the training of talents in space matters. In 2013, the South American Astronomy Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASSACA) began operating in Santiago, Chile, which has contributed greatly to the training of professionals from both countries. 2 years later, the Postdoctoral Program was established with the support of CASSACA and the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) of Chile. To date, this program has funded dozens of young astronomers from different countries, offering valuable research opportunities in their early careers. Such cooperation has also taken place between China and Venezuela. For more than ten years, China and Venezuela have jointly trained more than 220 specialists in the space technology sector. During the state visit of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to China in 2023, both countries agreed to send young Venezuelans to Chinese schools to receive training and training to prepare as astronauts. “What we are going for is to the Moon,” said President Nicolás Maduro.
China-LAC space cooperation is young but fruitful, and its palpable results extend from large national projects to small but indispensable services for people. There is so much space to develop China-LAC cooperation of broader perspectives and higher levels. As an old proverb says: “Not even the brightest stars shine alone in the dark.” So it goes to the stars (This is how you go to the stars).
Author: Yi Fan, international affairs observer in Beijing
#Astra #Space #Cooperation #China #Latin #America #Caribbean
2024-08-16 05:45:33
