Thanks to the Polish-Chinese cooperation, the Long March-4B rocket launched the BRITE-PL “Hevelius” scientific satellite into the Earth’s orbit on 19 August 2014 at 5:15:00 Polish time. It was blasted into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, 600 km south-east of China’s capital.
“This event is an excellent element among those that commemorate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Poland, which falls in 2014,” stressed Krzysztof Dobrowolski, chargé d\'affaires at the Polish Embassy in Beijing. “I think the famous astronomer would be really glad over this fact,” he added, referring to a portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus hung at the Copernicus Hall.
The event’s special guests included scientists and construction engineers from the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Centre and Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, as well as representatives of the rocket’s manufacturer—China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) and Chinese Space Agency (CAK).
“The Chinese partner’s offer was so comprehensive at the very start that we made up our minds quickly to cooperate,” recalled Professor Marek Banaszkiewicz, Director of the Space Research Centre at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Yin Liming, President of CGWIC, expressed at the meeting his intention to continue collaboration with the Polish scientists, and Li Guoping, Deputy General Director of the Chinese Space Agency, spoke about planned joint activities with its Polish counterpart, the Polish Space Agency.
The launch of Hevelius and all accompanying events largely complements the contacts between the Space Research Centre and its Chinese partners, supported by the Polish Embassy in Beijing. The idea of a joint project saw the light of day in September 2013 during the visit by Polish members of parliament and Space Research Centre representatives to China. It was the first time Polish scientists had met with China Great Wall Industry Corporation representatives.
MFA Press Office
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