Canada Space Agency Head Says Too Early To Talk About Participation In China Space Station

Daniyal Sohail Published April 10, 2019 | 07:30 AM

COLORADO SPRINGS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2019) The Canadian Space Agency believes that it is too premature to talk about its participation in the Chinese Space Station project, agency's President Sylvain Laporte told Sputnik.

"The Chinese have mentioned that they were open for future collaboration ... The conversations are nascent. We are just beginning to discuss how that could materialize. At this point it's too early to be able to judge whether or not there are benefits for us to participate in that venture ... But I think what's encouraging is that the conversations and dialogue are ongoing," Laporte said on Tuesday.

In January, the China National Space Administration said that Beijing hoped for international cooperation on construction of the Chinese space station.

Last year, Shi Zhongjun, China's ambassador to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, said that Beijing was ready to allow other UN nations to use the Chinese space station on an equal basis.

China is planning to launch the main module of the station in 2019 to test all the necessary technologies. The station is expected to become fully functional in 2022.