Chinese space scientists have expressed their disappointment for the lack of proper funding and support for their endeavors in the wake of NASA's realization of the historic Pluto flyby using the New Horizons spacecraft.

According to South China Morning Post, mainland Chinese scientists have voiced out their frustrations for not being able to get sufficient funding to carry out big outer space missions like NASA's historic Pluto flyby.

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The space scientists noted that they have been proposing big projects for years, but to no avail. They have even come up with proposals that received international attention, but only a handful of these projects got the go signal from space authorities.

"Scientific projects often hit a cold stone wall in the reviewing process at the space authorities. The science is to explore the unknown, and to explore the unknown we want to use the newest technology and equipment," a Chinese space scientist said.

"But to space authorities, safety and reliability is the priority. They would not allow design and hardware to be used extensively, if at all, in a space mission," the same space scientists, who declined to give his name, added.

The news about the frustrations of Chinese astronauts comes almost a year after China's space authorities made a pact with the European Space Agency (ESA) to collaborate in making outer space projects that could rival NASA's projects.

In June, the ESA director has expressed his desire to bring Chinese and Indian space scientists on board the International Space Station, TeCake has learned.

As per several sources, ESA Director General Johann-Dietrich Woerner has seen the remarkable efforts of the Indians and the Chinese in space exploration. Because of these, he wants the two nations to be among those who are supporting ISS.

If this will be realized, India and China could get more funding for their outer space endeavors. However, ESA was taken aback when authorities pointed out a U.S. law preventing China from obtaining information from NASA. Moreover, other nations are also not in favor of including China in the list of nations supporting ISS.

Meanwhile, it's day two for NASA's New Horizons' Pluto flyby and so far everything seems to go pretty well.

According to NBC News, the piano-sized spacecraft is already very busy taking photos and doing keen observations on the distant dwarf planet. 

Alan Stern, the Pluto flyby's principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute said, "It's a moment of celebration, because we've just done the 'anchor leg.' We have completed the initial reconnaissance of the solar system."

Tagsastronauts, Space Scientists, outer space, NASA, Pluto Flyby, New Horizons