Nations should join hands to explore outer space

Last week's announcement that 17 countries would conduct nine experiments on board China's planned space station as part of the first round of projects has sent a strong signal for international cooperation and peaceful use of outer space.

I was fortunate enough to witness that exciting moment when Hao Chun, director general of China Manned Space Agency, and Simonetta Di Pippo, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, jointly announced the projects in Vienna. The projects, which cover aerospace medicine, space life sciences and biotechnology, microgravity physics and combustion science, astronomy and emerging technologies, are meant to benefit human development.

Hao and Simonetta said they would soon start working on the second round of projects on board China's space station, which is scheduled to be completed in 2022.