China has set to launch its 18th recoverable satellite in the coming April. The aerospace departments have therefore filed a public notice to collect paid space-borne experiments. It is the first time that China, in line with international conventions, has released the information concerning paid space-borne services since the country began space breeding in 1987.
According to common understanding, space-borne experiments must carry more scientific contents. But tangled with business, wouldn't the scientific experiment go against the original intention?
With this regard, a senior engineer noted that, although space-borne services are charged in foreign countries, people are still very interested in it. They line up for a US$ 20mn space trip ticket, and even more surprisingly many can't get it. When the "Shenzhou I" was launched, species carried in it were mainly experiments for free in order to accumulate test data about sending spacemen in future. Though the space-borne service is no longer offered for free this time, the charge standard is actually much lower than that abroad, so it is totally acceptable to Chinese people. Twenty percent of the charge should be paid ahead of the schedule while the rest is to be made up after the satellite returns to the land with the seeds handed over to clients.
"It's really a rare opportunity to have a space-borne service. Actually it also offers a sponsorship for enterprises to conduct scientific experiments. In addition, how could such a favorable cost be seasoned with a commercial taste?"
It is conformed that similar compensated space-borne moves will be carried on in future if satellites are available.
(People?s Daily March 17, 2003)
