By CGTN’s Zhou Jiaxin

A Chinese experiment heading for the International Space Station (ISS) was launched on Saturday. Experts are considering the launch as “historic,” given the US government’s restrictions on US-China space cooperation.

SpaceX, a US space technology company, launched the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) gene experiment towards the ISS on Saturday local time from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

NanoRacks, a Houston-based company that facilitates commercial use of the ISS, signed a cooperation agreement with BIT on DNA research in 2015.

Peter Bak, Head of the European Operation NanoRacks, called the project a “stepping stone” for China-US space cooperation. 

He added that it was, however, not easy for the project to go ahead, because of US policy on cooperating with China in space. 

“Every detail in this project has been looked through by NASA and presented to Congress, explaining that NanoRacks is doing the service without any violation of the Wolf amendment.”  

The Wolf amendment, signed into NASA-funding appropriation bills by then Republican Congressman Frank Wolf in 2011, prohibits NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from cooperating with China on any space activities.

Because of the Wolf amendment, Chinese and US scientists cannot “work very closely” together, said Professor Yang Yuguang of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

He noted that Chinese scientific research, in fields such as life sciences and material manufacturing, are in “great demand” for space cooperation. 

“Such demand is very common in China and in the US,” Yang continued. “To utilize these resources more efficiently in the future, it’s reasonable for each country to open its space lab.”

Professor John Horack of Ohio State University in Columbus dismissed the Wolf amendment as “counterproductive”, calling for governments to build “trust, understanding” and to “communicate more clearly,” so that they can follow where the private sectors, scientists and citizens are leading the way.

“Space is a fundamental component of civilization,” Horack added. “We are all interested in preserving and promoting our civilization for all people everywhere.”