Astronaut Chris Hadfield: space nations have more to gain working together than competing on science

In Talking Post, the Canadian says astronauts conducting a science lecture from Tiangong space station showed Chinese youth new possibilities for their future

If the only life in the universe is on Earth, it is ‘important for us to act like an intelligent species’ and take responsibility for our actions

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Are we alone? Chris Hadfield on UFOs, the ISS and China in space | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo

William Zheng

Published: 10:15am, 15 Jan 2022Updated: 2:21pm, 15 Jan 2022

The world’s major space powers should avoid repeating the mistakes they have made on the ground and instead define new relationships in space to share knowledge to make space exploration more efficient, according to Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut known for his vast experience on space project collaborations.

Hadfield, who has worked extensively with Russian and American-led space programmes and was commander of the International Space Station, made the remarks in the latest episode of the South China Morning Post’s video series Talking Post with SCMP chief news editor Yonden Lhatoo. In the conversation he shared his views on the progress of China’s space programme, the prospects for the ISS and the possibility of extraterrestrial lives.

“There’s way too much work to do all of the science that’s being done on the Chinese space station and on the International Space Station,” he said, adding that the best way to cooperate was to concentrate on new scientific research rather than doubling up on another’s work.

“Don’t repeat the science that has already been done in somebody else’s laboratory,” Hadfield said while commenting on the prospect of potential collaboration between the ISS and China’s Tiangong space station.

Collaboration between the world’s major space powers has stalled since US space agency Nasa was barred from collaborating with China under the Wolf Amendment passed by the US Congress in 2011.

Russia has also been odds with the US on several issues while moving closer to China. After agreeing to work with China to develop a moon base last year, the Russian space authority said it would not join Nasa’s moon plans because they were “too US-centric”.