China and Pakistan Strengthen Their Space Collaboration in Deep Space Exploration Efforts

On January 29, a group headed by Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission Chairman Mohammad Yousuf Khan paid a visit to the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, China. Both sides had lengthy conversations about upcoming deep space exploration missions while they were there. Wu Weiren, the director of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, as well as the chief engineers of the Chang’e-8 project, attended the meeting.

Wu Weiren gave the team a summary of China’s advancements in planetary and lunar exploration programs. “Pakistan’s ICUBE-Q CubeSat’s inclusion in the Chang’e-6 mission has expanded the two nations’ cooperation in the field of deep space exploration and laid a strong foundation for international cooperation in lunar scientific research,” Wu Weiren stated. In addition to outlining the fundamentals of Pakistan’s suggested cooperative initiatives on the Chang’e-8 mission, Mohammad Yousuf Khan pledged to further expand bilateral cooperation in lunar exploration.

“To promote an international platform devoted to scientific research and academic exchanges in lunar and planetary exploration, with a particular focus on significant engineering tasks, the laboratory is currently establishing an International Society for Deep Space Exploration.” Wu invited the Pakistani team to take part in China’s Space Day in April and the next TianDu International Conference, which is slated for the second half of the year, and he warmly welcomed Pakistani scientists to join this society.

The two countries’ space cooperation has strengthened as a result of the group from Pakistan visiting China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. It is anticipated that the talks had during the visit will encourage more deep space exploration partnerships, advancing both nations’ scientific and technological capacities.