Nigeria and other African countries under the platform of the Forum For China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) are deepening cooperation with productive engagement that will benefit the country and continent as China drives cooperation in Space Science Technology. BINTA SHAMA reports.
China’s innovative development goes together with the strengthening of its space industry as well as building the capacity of its allies.
While space activities are multifaceted and cover different sectors such as transport systems, infrastructure, communications, satellite navigation systems, and planetary exploration, the construction of the Chinese space station, named Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, frequently attracts international attention.
Taikonauts
China’s significant strides in this sector are making waves around the globe. According to records from Chinese authorities, three crewed missions have already contributed to the construction of Tiangong. In June 2022, another crewed capsule went to orbit and docked there. It also complemented the arrivals of June 2021 and October 2021. To portray members of the missions, China employs the lemma “taikonauts,” a synonym for astronauts, which is a combination of the Chinese term “taikong” (space) and the Greek “nautes” (sailor).
A few days ago, the Chinese taikonauts reportedly started their work in establishing an inhabitable environment within the station by reconfiguring, among other things, ventilation and air purification. Meanwhile, a Long March carrier rocket, which will send the Wentian lab module to Tiangong, was transported to the launch pad in China’s southern island province of Hainan.
CAS
According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), this module has experiment cabinets and an installation platform for extravehicular payloads. It also has a mechanical hand that can be used alone or connected to the bigger one belonging to the management and controlling hub, Tianhe.
According to George Tzogopoulos China’s self-reliance has defined its impressive space program for years. However, of course, cooperation remains the desired goal. The white paper “China’s Space Program: A 2021 Perspective,” published last January, uses the word “cooperation” 46 times. It refers to the central role of the UN in managing outer space affairs. It focuses on the importance of the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), an intergovernmental body headquartered in Beijing aiming to function as a cooperative mechanism for developing countries in the region, G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Remote sensing satellite data sharing
Furthermore, the white paper gives weight to synergies within the BRICS. Already in August 2021, under the Indian chairmanship, the BRICS space agencies heads had signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing. A few months later, in May 2022, countries of the group, currently chaired by China, went further and officially launched a joint committee on space cooperation. In the same spirit, BRICS leaders issued a declaration in June in which they reasserted their support for ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and preventing an arms race in outer space.
The FOCAC Dakar Action Plan 2022-2024 calls for the two sides to enhance cooperation on space technology. Moreover, China will promote Africa’s space technology application and infrastructure development and use the space industry to drive social development and improve people’s living standards. A relevant sub-forum under the FOCAC framework is also expected to be established.
It is on this premise that Nigeria stands to gain immensely from Chinese Space science technology. The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is one of the research institutions established by the Nigerian Government in May, 1999 with a broad objective to pursue the development and application of Space science and technology for socio-economic benefits of Nigeria.
Nigeria space programme
The Director General of NASRDA, Dr Halilu Shaba, has been forthright in the quest for Nigeria to liaise with willing partners to actualize the full benefits of the Nigeria Space Programme for socio-economic development in Nigeria.
Dr Shaba has explained recently that the Agency is receptive to solution-driven innovations with the required economic force and strength to secure Nigeria’s pride of place among other nations in the Space sector.
In 2003, Nigeria procured the launch of its first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, an Earth observation satellite that became part of the international Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). Since then, Nigeria has launched a total of five satellites, with three still operational as of 2020. This includes the first satellite designed and built by engineers from African countries, NigeriaSat-X. There are however, some technical deficiencies that Nigeria needs to address and this is where China can come in.
Emerging space programmes
China has become increasingly interested in investing in emerging space programmes as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).Viewing satellites as infrastructure, China often invests in BRI countries’ satellite capabilities. In 2018, Nigeria agreed to give a $550 million equity stake in the state-owned satellite operator NigComSat to a Chinese satellite company, China Great Wall, to manufacture two communications satellites to be launched by China two years after the final agreement is signed.
This cooperation is sure to enhance the capacity of Nigeria and boost its technical competence. Nigeria however, needs more investment of funds as the current budgetary provisions of the space agency may not carry it far to actualize its objectives.
The China National Space Administration
Furthermore, the youth are not being overlooked. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is, among other things, building a space science exchange platform, enabling students to explore new modes of education communication and enrich their knowledge. The CNSA also runs online training courses in China, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Nigerian youths can also benefit in terms of the exchange programmes with China.
The more China grows, the bigger its international footprint becomes. Technological achievements – expanding with cosmos exploration – result from China’s systematic planning and emphasis on research, science, and hard work. China is naturally creating new, promising conditions for the country’s future progress and relations with the world.
On March 4, Zhang Bainan, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Deputy Chief Designer of China’s Manned Space Programme, had sounded optimistic that in 2022, China will complete major tasks in six areas in Tiangong space station, launch Wentian and Mengtian laboratory modules and fully complete the space station, to achieve the first combination flight of the station with six spacecraft and two crews of six taikonauts in orbit at the same time.
On-orbit service
According to Zhou Jianping, the space station will form a T-shaped configuration and operate in orbit for a long time. The on-orbit service life of the combination is no less than 10 years, and it can be extended through maintenance.
Zhou said that scientists from all over the world will be welcomed to participate in the scientific experiment projects on the Chinese space station. China has already promoted the implementation of the first technical experiment projects with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, and has also reached relevant cooperation agreements with several national or regional research institutions in space science and technology.
Nigeria must take advantage of these opportunities especially now that it has very robust diplomatic relations with the Asian giant.
