China grants access to its space station for space science projects

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 20, 2023 shows Shenzhou-16 astronaut Gui Haichao giving a thumb-up for his crewmates Jing Haipeng and Zhu Yangzhu upon completion of the spacewalk. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The application system for space science projects in China's space station is now open to scientists and engineers, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The CMSA will solicit projects covering space science and human research, physics in microgravity, space astronomy and Earth science, as well as new space technologies and applications.

According to the CMSA, China's space station is also a national space laboratory. It is equipped with scientific experiment cabinets, technological test cabinets and supporting systems inside its modules.

The space station also has exposure experiment platforms, standard payload interfaces and large payload hanging points outside the modules to support scientific research, technological experiments and applications in various fields.

The application details are available at www.cmse.gov.cn. ■