Figure: IAF Flag Handover Ceremony (courtesy of XinHua)

[BERLIN, September 14, CMSE News]A delegation from China Manned Space Engineering Office(CMSEO), headed by its Deputy Director Mrs. Wu Ping, attended the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) flag handover ceremony held in Berlin, Germany on September 14, 2012. At the ceremony, the IAF flags, which had been taken to the space aboard the Tiangong-1target module and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft, were handed over by Chinese astronaut Liu Wang, who conducted China’s first manual controled space Rendezvous & Docking mission, to Mr. Berndt Feuerbacher, President of IAF. The delegation also presented the ILA Berlin Air show and visited German Aerospace Center (DLR).

On September 29, 2011, the IAF flags were brought into space aboard the Tiangong-1 target module. After the successful Rendezvous & Docking between Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-9, three Chinese astronauts took back the IAF flags from Tiangong-1 and brought them back to earth on June 2012.  Prior to this trip, these IAF flags had travelled to space aboard Russian Soyuz Spaceship, International Space Station, Space Shuttle—Endeavour and  respectively. They have achieved the object on Earth to have travelled aboard spacecraft belonging to all nations with an active human spaceflight program. It is reported that IAF will deliver these flags to its members during the 63rd International Astronautical Congress.

Mrs. Wu Ping introduced that China had taken UN flags into space aboard Shenzhou-5 before the IAF flags’ trip to space aboard Chinese spacecrafts, which fully embodies China’s coherent tenets of peaceful using outer space and promoting international exchanges and cooperation on manned space.

After the IAF flag handover ceremony, Chinese astronaut Liu Wang discussed the past, current and future of human’s space exploration with 9 European astronauts in the ESA’s Astronaut’s Day. Mr. Liu expressed that Chinese astronauts would like to devote their attributions, together with other astronauts all over the world, for human’s peaceful use of outer space.

Figure: Chinese delegation poses for a photo with DLR’s experts

During their stay in Germany, Chinese delegation held a meeting with DLR. After reviewing the Sino-German joint experiments conducted on Shenzhou-8 spaceship, the two parties discussed the issues about future cooperation, such as intention, the way and initial arrangements. They also talked about the preparation work for the meeting of Sino-German manned space joint working group. After the meeting, with the company of German officials, Chinese delegation visited the German exhibition area at the ILA Berlin Air Show.

Figure: Mr. Shi Mingde, Chinese Ambassador to Germany, met with Mrs. Wu Ping and her delegation

Upon the request of Mr. Shi Mingde, Chinese Ambassador to Germany, the delegation also introduced the mission of China’s first manned space Rendezvous & Docking to the staff of the Embassy, sharing the successful development of china’s manned space causes with them.