NASA Open to Sharing Scientific, Space Situational Awareness Data With China

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine recently commented on the possibility of collaborating with the China National Space Agency by sharing scientific data as well as space situational awareness information, Space News reported Monday.

Bridenstine told the press at the 69th International Astronautical Conference in Bremen, Germany, that sharing scientific data with the Chinese would lead to greater knowledge for both parties, pointing out the “amazing scientific experiments” that the China National Space Agency plans to carry out.

NASA’s administrator also underscored the value of exchanging space situational awareness information, stating that “[there] is no issue related to space more important to for all of us to get right than that issue.”

Bridenstine’s remarks are a response to statements made by CNSA chief Zhang Kejian, who had proposed during an earlier panel that teams from the U.S. and Chinese sides prepare a kind of “cooperation list.”

“We can dash out those that cannot be implemented now, or are above our pay grade, and then we can start cooperating on the substantial part, including scientific and space situational awareness data,” Kejian said.