The northern Chinese city of Harbin is hosting this year's Space Day events. CGTN's Xu Xinchen explores a project that lets students build micro-satellites, while building ties between China and Russia.

Weighing just over 10 kilograms, the Lilac Sat No. 2, was successfully launched three years ago. It is the first satellite entirely designed and built by students. And it all happened at the Harbin Institute of Technology. Now, the group is moving onto a new project, the ASRTU.

QIU SHI, PROJECT LEADER HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY "The ASRTU project is an extension of our previous Lilac Sat Projects. All the people who worked on the Lilac Sats are now working on the ASRTU project."

ASRTU stands for the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities. Established in 2011, the association decided to move beyond just an alliance of over 50 universities from China and Russia by letting the countries' students get hands-on experience. Satellites weighing under 100 kilograms make for a good place to start.

REN NANQI, VICE PRESIDENT HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY "Micro and nano satellites cost less and are easier to launch. While they have great commercial value, the technology also lets students explore and get hands-on experience."

Two student-built satellites from China and Russia are expected to launch aboard a Russian rocket in 2020. And there are plans to make the two satellites share data with each other.

D. V. FOMIN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, AMUR STATE UNIVERSITY "We are planning to have the two satellites communicate with each other, sharing their data. Institutes in both countries can receive the data, so we can share our resources and information."

QIU SHI, PROJECT LEADER HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY "Our satellites are equipped with cameras, which are mainly for capturing images of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor. That complements information collected from the Russian satellite and so we will be able to better analyze the region."

While the ASRTU project gives students a chance to peek into the space, real-life astronauts think space exploration needs collaboration with different countries, and it is important to figure out ways to work in an international setting.

PAVEL VINOGRADOV, PILOT-COSMONAUT S. P. KOROLEV ROCKET & SPACE CORPORATION ENERGIA "I travelled to space three times. And in space, I have worked with people from countries including the US, France, Italy and Japan. It felt like we were working as a family. Exchanges are important for space technology, including exchanges among schools and across nations. Exchanges among schools can provide opportunities for students from different countries to learn how to work with different people from a young age.

XU XINCHEN HARBIN "It's now the third China Space Day. This year's theme is 'Forging Together for the New Era of Space Development'. The event aims to increase awareness of the development of aerospace technology in the country. For the Chinese students involved in the ASRTU project, they are planning to roll out a ground test for their new satellite by the end of this year. Xu Xinchen, CGTN, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.