China, Europe to share data from geospace satellites: expert

Home>>Sci-Edu

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 01, 2004

China, Europe to share data from geospace satellites: expert

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China and Europe will share the data collected by each other's satellites in their space exploration programs, a Chinese space expert Wednesday said of the Probe No. 1 satellite launched successfully Tuesday.

Liu Zhenxin, a leading Chinese expert in space physics who initiated the country's "Geospace Double Star Exploration Program",said both sides agreed to share the data under an official agreement signed in 2001.

Under the geospace exploration program, which will cost the country 48 million US dollars, China launched a satellite on Tuesday and is scheduled to put another one in orbit in the middleof 2004 to form an independent constellation-like system to monitor geospace storms.

The two satellites will probe areas not covered by the four satellites in orbit, which were put into space by European Space Agency in 2001 as part of its Cluster II geospace exploration program, said the expert.

The six satellites constitute the world's first three dimensional geospace exploration system for coordinated multi-satellite observation of solar activities.

The data would help improve the safety of space activities and protect the near-earth space environment, and give more accurate weather forecasts, said Liu, who is member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The geospace cooperation between China and the European Union represents the first geospace project using satellites, which is important for the development for China's progress in geospace physics research.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Will China's rise trigger Sino-US confrontation? ( 47 Messages)

China may participate in reconstruction of Iraq ( 8 Messages)

Gas field blowout kills 191in SW China, 290-odd hospitalized ( 32 Messages)

HK singer Anita Mui dies of cancer ( 7 Messages)

China offers emergency humanitarian aid to Iran ( 14 Messages)