Figure: Mr. Wang Zhaoyao, Director of CMSEO and Mr. Feuerbacher, President of IAF handed over IAF Flags to its members.

[October 18, CMSE News] At the invitation of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and European Space Agency (ESA), a delegation of China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), headed by Mr. Wang Zhaoyao, Director of CMSEO, visited Italy, Holland and France from September 29 to October 10, 2012. During their visit, the delegation presented the 63rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Naples, Italy and held talks with counterparts from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, ESA, French Space Research Center and Italian Space Agency, and visited related facilities. Mr. Wang Zhonggui, Deputy chief designer of CMSEO, Ms. Liu Yang, China’s first female astronaut, and Mr. Hao Chun, director of CMSEO science and planning bureau, are also members of the delegation.

Figure: Mr. Wang Zhaoyao presenting a theme report at the IAC

At the 63rd IAC conference, Mr. Wang Zhaoyao delivered a report titled the Development of China’s Manned Space Engineering. He mainly explained the plan, implementation and future prospect of China’s Rendezvous & Docking mission. Audiences presented the IAC were deeply impressed by the achievements made by China’s Manned Space Engineering in recent years.

During the IAF flags handover ceremony, Mr. Wang Zhaoyao and Mr. Feuerbacher, along with representatives from RSA and NASA, handed over the IAF flags to all IAF members. These flags had traveled to space aboard spacecraft belonging to all nations with an active human spaceflight program. In December 2000, they were onboard Russian Soyuz TMA-20 to ISS and brought back to the earth by Endeavor space shuttle in June 2011. In September 2011, they were sent into space again by Tiangong1 spacecraft and returned to the earth aboard Shenzhou 9 spaceship in June 2012.

During the visit, Chinese delegation met with Mr. Othman, head of UNOOSA, Mr. Dordain, Director General of ESA, Mr. Escatha, Chairman of French Space Research Center (CNES), and Mr. Enrico, Director of Italian Space Agency respectively, and had thorough talks with their counterparts on further cooperation in the fields of manned space. After briefing the status quo and future plan of China’s manned space Rendezvous & Docking mission,  Mr. Wang expressed again the willingness of actively conducting international cooperation and exchange. Mr. Othman and other officials from European space organizations extended congratulations to Chinese delegation on the success and technological breakthrough of China’s first manned space Rendezvous & Docking mission, and hoped to hold further exchanges and dialogues with China on further cooperation.

Besides their visits to the Italian Aeronautical and Space Research Center (CIRA) and the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the Chinese delegation has been invited to the Chinese embassies in Italy, Holland and France for a series of celebration activities.