Remembering the Space Age. - Black Vault Radio Network (BVRN)

114 reMeMBerING the SpaCe aGe
administrator of China’s National Space administration, administrator Grifn
and a small group of NaSa ofcials traveled to China for a historic 5-day visit.
Nothing concrete resulted from the exchange of pleasantries, but the visit was
nonetheless a milestone in the history of space diplomacy as Grifn was the
most senior U.S. space ofcial ever to go to China. 8
In Beijing and Shanghai, the NaSa delegation met with ofcials of the
China National Space administration (CNSa), Chinese academy of Space
technology, Chinese academy of Sciences, Center for Space Science and applied
research, Shangai Institute of technical physics, and China Meteorological
administration. they met for talks with China’s Chief Minister for Science
and technology, who asked, very frankly, if China could participate in the ISS
program, an overture the NaSa folks were ready always to politely but quickly
sidestep. “the tone of our meetings in China was at all times very cordial, very
polite, very welcoming,” recalls former astronaut and NaSa chief scientist
Shannon Lucid, who made the trip. “But there was always the undercurrent that
China really wanted to be part of the ISS. at just about every press conference,
we would be asked why China couldn’t be part of ISS. administrator Grifn
always handled that very well, explaining that you could not have cooperation
on something like the ISS unless everything was open and above-board. You
absolutely needed that for safety reasons.” 9
the Chinese space programs ofcials who asked that question were
clearly not part of the Chinese military, which is in charge of the country’s
human spacefight program. In fact, upon arrival in China, the NaSa party
was informed by its hosts that it would be able to visit the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center but while there would be able to tour a few launching pads
but would not be given a tour of any of the buildings where spacecraft were
tested and prepared for launching. Given the time and trouble of traveling all
the way out to the remote site in the high Gobi Desert just to see launch pads,
Grifn informed the Chinese that the NaSa delegation did not care to make
the trip. What he and the NaSa group hoped to see, Grifn later told Western
reporters, were engineering facilities and to be in a position to have “eye-level”
discussions with fellow engineers. 10
Nonetheless, the NaSa ofcials returned home with a much enhanced
appreciation for China’s commitment to space exploration. according to former
astronaut and NaSa chief scientist Shannon Lucid, the enthusiasm of the
Chinese people for space exploration, experienced up close and personally, is
8.
9.
See “transcript, NaSa administrator Michael Grifn press Conference, Shanghai, China,
September 27, 2006,” accessed at http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/grifn_china.html.
Shannon Lucid, houston, tX, telephone interview with author, June 13, 2007, transcript, 1.
10. See Warren e. Leary, “NaSa Chief, on First China trip, Says Joint Spacefight Is Unlikely,”
New York Times, September 28, 2006, accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/28/science/
space/28nasa.html.