CNSA: China to Enhance International Space Cooperation in 2026

Beijing (ANTARA) - China will soon promote international space cooperation with the China-Europe SMILE satellite scheduled for launch in 2026, a CNSA official said on Friday (17/4).

CNSA’s Deputy Director of the System Engineering Department, Liu Yunfeng, stated at a press conference ahead of China Space Day that the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission aims to uncover the interaction processes and evolutionary patterns between solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere.

Meanwhile, Liu said, the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) programme will continue, extending cooperation between the two countries that has lasted nearly four decades.

China-Brazil space cooperation is widely regarded as a model of South-South collaboration in high technology, with CNSA and the Brazilian Space Agency having signed various cooperation plans.

Beginning in 1988, the CBERS programme set a successful precedent for space cooperation among developing countries, serving the socioeconomic development of both nations and effectively advancing their space technology capabilities.

“This year, Brazil is invited as the guest of honour for China Space Day. Both sides will deepen their space cooperation, including the planned development of CBERS-06 and the refinement of technical solutions for CBERS-05,” Liu revealed.

Liu noted that in 2025, the electromagnetic monitoring satellite 02, jointly developed by China and Italy, was successfully launched, providing new technical means and data support for space environment monitoring.

He also outlined a series of events planned for the 11th China Space Day, to be held on 24 April in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. These events will include an opening ceremony, a space science exhibition, and a cultural forum.

This year’s China Space Conference will run from 23 to 25 April, featuring a main forum and more than 20 academic sessions. Meanwhile, the space science and technology exhibition will be held in Chengdu from 24 April to 5 May.

Since 2016, China has designated 24 April as China Space Day to commemorate the launch of its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into space on 24 April 1970.