BRICS countries found space committee

China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa will further strengthen their cooperation in the space industry as the five countries established a committee dedicated to boosting joint efforts in the field on Wednesday.

The BRICS Joint Committee on Space Cooperation will open a new chapter on cooperation in remote-sensing satellite observation and data sharing, according to a statement from the China National Space Administration.

The joint committee will guide cooperation on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation to better serve economic and social development in member countries, Zhang Kejian, head of the Chinese administration, said at the committee's first video meeting.

He said the new entity will enable BRICS space agencies to deepen collaboration when it comes to environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, and tackling climate change with efficient data sharing and utilization.

The space cooperation will enhance strategic ties among the five nations, he said.

At the meeting, space agencies from the BRICS countries shared their activities in the past year. Officials reviewed and adopted documents on the joint committee's terms of reference, the technical specifications for data exchange and the implementation procedures for joint observation.

In August 2021, the five space agencies signed an agreement on the Cooperation on BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation.

The constellation is made up of six existing satellites: China's Gaofen-6 and Ziyuan III 02; CBERS-4, jointly developed by Brazil and China; Russia's Kanopus-V; and Resourcesat-2 and 2A, both built by India.

Attendees to the meeting agreed to improve the capability of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation and make full use of satellite data to push forward the sustainable growth in economy and social systems.