China marked Space Day on April 24 with a string of announcements ranging from fresh scientific findings to deeper international partnerships, underscoring the country's push to pair rapid technological progress with a more open approach to global collaboration.
The opening ceremony of China's 2026 Space Day is held in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 24, 2026. (Photo: CGTN)
"China's development in space is a continuous success story," said Christian Feichtinger, executive director of the International Astronautical Federation, in an interview on the sidelines of Space Day events. Feichtinger pointed to recent milestones including sample-return missions from the moon, the Tianwen missions targeting Mars and asteroids and the operation of the BeiDou navigation system.
Beyond rockets, Feichtinger highlighted the role of China's Tiangong space station as a potential platform for scientific experiments in microgravity for the international community. "It is an opportunity for the international scientific community to see that there is an alternative platform to the ISS," he said.
Christian Feichtinger, executive director of the International Astronautical Federation, spoke to CGTN, April 24, 2026. (Photo: CGTN)
That "opportunity" has taken on a more concrete meaning this year, as the China Manned Space Agency confirmed this week that two Pakistani astronaut candidates have arrived in Beijing to begin training alongside Chinese peers. The move, which would make one of them the first foreign astronaut to visit Tiangong as a payload specialist, has been described by Chinese officials as a landmark in international cooperation.
Feichtinger said the broader message goes beyond science. "Much more significant is the diplomatic message," he said, calling the opening of China's space capabilities to partners "a very significant step."
Brazil is the guest of honor at China's 2026 Space Day. (Photo: CGTN)
Space Day: Brazil hails cooperation with China
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva praised China-Brazil space ties as "exemplary" in a congratulatory letter sent for China's Space Day, saying the partnership highlights the value of international cooperation in the exploration and peaceful use of outer space. Brazil is the guest of honor for China's 2026 Space Day, and the Brazilian delegation in Chengdu says the two countries' space ties will continue to grow.
Rubens Diniz Tavares, chief of staff of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said China–Brazil cooperation has delivered "important advances" over nearly four decades, citing ongoing projects and the prospect of jointly developing a geostationary satellite. "We observed the partnership in a very productive way," Tavares added.
The China National Space Administration said China and Brazil will continue to deepen cooperation, including advancing development of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS)-06 as scheduled, while furthering technical planning and feasibility studies for CBERS-05.
Rodrigo Leonardi, director of the Brazilian Space Agency, said scientists from the two countries have also been working together on space weather monitoring, astronomy, cosmology and research on the evolution and structure of the universe.
"I think the most important aspect of cooperation is always people, which is very important for us to carry on our cooperation even further," Leonardi told CGTN.