On April 12, 2023, the 2023 “Journey of Chinese Aerospace Technology and Culture” set off for the second stop - UNESCO International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (abbreviated as “HIST”). HIST, established by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011, is the only World Heritage Research Center based on space technology, which relies on the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) to provide space technology support for the conservation and management of world heritage sites, world biosphere reserves and world geoparks in UNESCO and its member countries, promoting their sustainable development.
The visit received enthusiastic response from the participants, a total of more than forty (40) participants from the two campuses of Beihang University signed up for this activity. Under the guidance and explanation of the staff, the participants first visited the International Research Center on Big Data for Sustainable Development. They watched the video related to “World Heritage-Digital Earth Science and Space Technology” in the circular-screen theatre and experienced the charm of space technology through 3D film.
Then, the participants went to the corresponding floors to visit the operation control system of China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station (RSGS) and the international organizations under the AIRCAS, including the HIST, the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE), the Committee of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), etc. The participants showed great interest in the professional fields of cultural heritage protection, digital earth, disaster mitigation and prevention. They exchanged with the staff and received information brochures. The professional staff also introduced the RSGS, and the participants expressed their desire to visit the ground station for field study if they had the opportunity.
At last, Dr. Luo Lei, Associate Researcher and Head of the Research Department of HIST, gave participants a presentation on “Application of Space Technology in World Heritage Protection”. Combined with typical cases at home and abroad, he explained the principles of using various space remote sensing technologies to detect archaeological sites, which further broadened the vision and knowledge of the participants.
The participants all said that they had learned a lot from the event. SYED SAAD ALI ASIF, a participant from Pakistan, shared his experience of this visit:
Through this visit, we gained insight into the functioning of a Ground Station and the technical intricacies of ensuring uninterrupted communication with satellites. We also had the opportunity to witness the processing, storage, and conversion of vast amounts of data into meaningful information at the Big Data Centre. The visit was an invaluable chance to engage with the top scholars and researchers, I really enjoy it.
