Visit of the Center for Space Utilisation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The CSU delegation headed by Prof. Ming GAO, Director of CSU, Prof. Yidong GU, Prof. Tao ZHANG, Dr. Yang YANG (responsible for international relations) and Dr. Li XU (responsible for S&T Cooperation.
The delegation met with the leaders of Latvia’s space science and space technology as well as with representatives of Latvian SMEs involved in space technology development. The meeting took place in the University of Latvia (UL) Senate Chambers under the chairmanship Arnolds Ubelis and opened with remarks by UL Rector Indrikis Muiznieks. Presentations were made by researchers from LU’s FOTONIKA-LV research center:

• Kalvis Salmins, FOTONIKA-LV and Manager – Riga Laser Ranging Station, “History and development of laser ranging in Latvia”
• Janis Vjaters, Senior Scientist, HEE Photonic Labs Ltd, “Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging Systems”
• Janis Kaminskis, FOTONIKA-LV and Senior Scientist, Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, “Geodesy in Latvia”
• Valdis Avotins,Prof. Ventspils University College and Director - Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, “Radioastronomy in Latvia”
• Janis Alnis, FOTONIKA-LV and Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, Chief- Quantum Optics Laboratory, “Quantum Optics Research In Latvia”

Subsequent to the meeting at LU the delegation toured Old Town Riga and had a working dinner with Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola to discuss potential collaboration between Latvia and China in space. The Minister has a particularly strong interest in space having earned an Executive MBA from the International Space University. CSU CSU was established in 2011 to meet China’s strategic requirements to develop pioneering space utilization systems for the Chinese Space Station (CSS). The responsibilities of CSU include: strategic planning, system design and integration tests, development and operation of on-board and ground mission supporting system, engineering reliability and assurance, organizing and managing of the engineering process, management of result outlets in CSS and other major space utilization programs. Currently CSU with about 220 staff has attained all related capabilities in space utilization technologies. In the next 10 years, China will independently build a 60-ton space station which will run in orbit for 10 years. As China's largest space science and utilization program, space station utilization is a strategic engineering promoting cutting-edge scientific exploration and leading the development of applied technology, currently in 31 topics of 8 fields including space science and applied life science and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion science, space environment and space physics, space earth science, new technology of space utilization, space material science, basic research in microgravity, space astronomy and astrophysics. Utilization payloads will consist of dozens of space science experiment racks, major research facilities with international competitiveness and independent load used for specific space science research field. english.csu.cas.cn FOTONIKA -LV The emerging national photonics research center of the University of Latvia was formed in 2010 as an association of the Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, the Institute of Astronomy, and the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics. FOTONIKA-LV has won multiple research grants and its member institutes received high recognition in the rating by the respected Technopolis consultancy. FOTONIKA-LV with its member institutes is the leading space science and space technology research center in Latvia. FOTONIKA – LV has functioned as the cluster coordinator for the photonics cluster of research driven SMEs in Latvia. Recently, FOTONIKA-LV initiated the formation of the not-for-profit association Riga Photonics Centre to continue activities to advance the interests of all enterprises and research institutes in Latvia.