China Outer Space Science, Technology and Explorations: News & Updates

[JSCh]

China to achieve "major breakthrough" in nuclear-powered space shuttle around 2040: report
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-16 20:39:01|Editor: Xiang Bo



BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to achieve a "major breakthrough" in nuclear-powered space shuttles around 2040, according to a report issued by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on Thursday.

The achievement will be able to support large-scale exploration and development of space resources, and make mining on asteroids and space solar power plants possible, said the report, which outlines the development road map for China's space transportation system to 2045.

A future generation of carrier rockets will be put into use around 2040 and hybrid power reusable carriers will be developed, the report said.

By 2045, the means of getting into and out of space as well as space transportation will see subversive transformations, making it possible to build a space ladder, earth station and space post, as well as regularly explore the solar system on a large scale with coordination between humans and machines, said the report.

The report also said that the Long March-8 carrier rocket is expected to be launched in 2020 and the Long March series of rockets will provide commercial launch services for other countries.

Around 2025, reusable suborbital carriers will be successfully developed and suborbital space travel will come true, it said.

Around 2030, heavy carrier rockets will be launched to provide powerful support to manned lunar landing missions and sufficient transportation power for samples from Mars to return to Earth.

Around 2035, carrier rockets will be completely reusable and the future generation intelligent carrier rockets with advanced power will be launched, the report said.

 

[JSCh]

First Near-infrared Sky Brightness Measuring Meter Established in Ali Observatory, Tibet, and Give Birth to First Set of Data
Nov 16, 2017

The near-infrared sky brightness measuring meter, covering the infrared band, was established successfully in Ali, Tibet, with the joint efforts by the National Key Laboratory of Nuclear Detection and Nuclear Electronics of the Department of Modern Physics and the Department of Astronomy of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), as well as the Polar research Institute of China.

It has measured the sky brightness at a near-infrared wavelength of JHKs round the observatory in summer, which is also the first set of data of the observatory. The rate of flow of J waveband is about 900μJyarcsec-2, with that of H waveband 2000μJyarcsec-2 and that of Ks 1000μJyarcsec-2. Data revealed that the intensity of near-infrared sky brightness in Ali appears subtle at fine summer night, and ensures the stability of the instrument and the capability to observe in a long run, which is a good news for the coming observation in winter.

The team led by Associate Prof. WANG Jian from the National Key Laboratory of Nuclear Detection and Nuclear Electronics of the Department of Modern Physics and Associate Prof. ZHU Qingfeng from the Department of Astronomy, USTC, have begun their research on the near-infrared sky brightness at Ali observatory and Antarctic Kunlun Station. Like Kunlun Station with a high altitude, Ali observatory exhibits excellent conditions for astronomical observation as well and may provide a perfect domestic operation testing environment for astronomical instruments at kunlun Station.

The design of the research exactly targets at those extreme conditions people may encounter in Antarctica, like excessively low temperature, high altitude, low pressure (e.g. the average temperature collapses to -60℃ with a minimum of -80℃ at polar night, with the altitude of 4087m and the atmospheric pressure of 0.5atm at Kunlun Station), shortage of electricity and so on, and adjusts the optical performance, automatic observation, low-noise-reading electronics, structure and electronic control of the measuring meter.

So far, the measuring meter has been installed and put into operation. Following the first near-infrared sky brightness data at Ali observatory will be that of winter observation. Hopefully this will be a solid foundation for further research at Antarctic Kunlun Station.

In late August, Chinese Vice Premier LIU Yandong investigated in Tibet and inspected Ali observatory and its new member- the near-infrared sky brightness measuring meter.

While the best world-class observation stations settle on the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Andes in Chile and Canary island in Atlantic, Asia, however, was never home to any of those in the past. Yet things have changed since astronomers from East Asia Central Observatory Alliance made Tibet the candidate to house a world-class observatory. Known as the Third Pole, Tibet scores high for its daylight abundance, good transparency, low moisture and decent astronomical seeing. As a result, Ali, located in Tibet high with an altitude of 5100m breeds perfect infrared and submillimetre observation. Ali observatory has as decent a seeing as Mauna Kea observatory, which exceeds 0.8 second of arc.

In recent years, China has laid vast emphasis on developing astronomy concerning about infrared band and imaging systems, and aims to launch a third survey telescope AST-3 at Antarctic Kunlun Station that deals with infrared band, while the Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope covers wavelengths between 0.4μm-2.5μm with the infrared band included. Meantime, a 12m-caliber optical infrared telescope on the list of great national construction of science and technology infrastructure in the 13th Five-Year Plan, chose its first site in Ali, Tibet. But data of the infrared sky brightness in this area was yet to be acquired.

In general, the radiation intensity of the infrared sky brightness affects the major performance of infrared telescopes and other measuring instruments to a large degree, for instance, the depth of the sky survey, the furthest star observed and the exposure time of the imaging system. Whether a location is suitable for the construction of astronomical instruments or not, depends a lot on local average radiation intensity of infrared sky brightness and the variable parameters.

 

[JSCh]

New video satellites ready for launch pad

2017-10-31 14:22

chinadaily.com.cn Editor:Li Yan


Researchers work on the JILIN-1 Agile Video Satellite. (Photo/for China Daily)

Three new JILIN-1 Agile Video Satellites produced by the Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd left the factory on Friday in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province, according to the company.

The company plans to send them into space in November from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, which will bring the number of satellites manufactured and launched by the company to eight.

Researchers greatly improved the temporal resolution of the new satellites, reducing the visiting time (the length of time it takes for the orbiting satellite to fly by a certain point) from three days to one day, which will greatly upgrade service ability and promote marketing in sensing satellites.

According to the company, it will have 10 satellites operational by the end of 2017, and 60 satellites in service by 2020, which will ultimately make it possible to offer a 10-minute revisit capability of satellites anywhere in the world.

The first group of the JILIN-1 satellite networking project, China's first self-made, high-resolution remote-sensing satellite for commercial use was launched and put into service in October 2015.

It is China's first self R&D high-resolution commercial satellite, China's first self R&D integral satellite and China's first R&D high definition video satellite. It is also the first satellite to be named after a province.

Three JILIN-1 satellite (no. 4, 5, 6) successfully launched at 12:50 by CZ-6 rocket from Taiyuan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/932878020926357509

 

[JSCh]

Opinion: Innovation in China's space program
Guest commentary by Yang Yuguang
2017-11-26 15:03 GMT+8

Editor’s note: On November 26, 1975, China successfully launched its very first recoverable satellite. Precisely 22 years later in 2007, the China National Space Administration released the first image of the moon's surface sent back by its first unmanned lunar probe, Chang'e-1.

The Chinese government has released a white paper on its space activities several times. It has effectively announced that China has become a big player in space exploration, but not an advanced country. Therefore, becoming an advanced country or a technical power in space will be the most important goal in the next decades.

Innovation has therefore become the most important factor in this process.

China releases the first image of the moon's surface on November 26, 2007. /Xinhua Photo

Hard times

China started its space program about 60 years ago when it was far behind the US and the former Soviet Union and needed to catch up. From the beginning, the Soviets provided some useful but very limited help that lasted only for a very short period. That left China to fulfill its space dream completely by itself.

During the early days, China developed its launch vehicles, satellites and other infrastructure.There was broadly little innovation in these activities, but because China can only develop spacecraft by itself, there is some innovation on subsystems and certain technologies.

Since 1990s, with more experience derived from past space activities and with more investment, China has become more ambitious and more confident in space technology.

A ground-based terminal linked to BeiDou Navigation Satellite System /CFP Photo

Chinese space administrators started the manned space program and lunar exploration project and began construction of the satellite navigation constellation. There still not much innovation in systems, because other superpowers had gone this route before.

However, China does have many innovations on technologies. The power output of the Shenzhou spaceship is even greater than the first-generation space stations. The rendezvous and docking microwave radar is the smallest and most powerful one in the world. Although China's future space station is only half the size of Russia's MIR space station, it can do many more experiments than the MIR. China's BeiDou constellation can provide not only navigation signals, but also short text messages. This distinctive feature has proved very useful in disaster reduction.

Space dreams

In the future, to become an advanced country in space, China needs more innovative ideas on system design. For instance, China has combined an orbiter, a lander and a rover on its first Mars exploration mission. No other country has done this on its first attempt before. Obviously, there are great challenges on technology and innovation is the only choice to achieve it.

The Long March-2F carrier rocket carrying China's Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest of China, on October 17, 2016. /Xinhua Photo‍

China should not follow the steps of other countries in the future.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has great achievements but also made many mistakes. The choice of the space shuttle program as its only way to space has killed 14 astronauts and even now it can only access the International Space Station by Russia's Soyuz spaceships. The cancellation of the constellation program and the Asteroid Redirection Mission are the right choices, but the two programs had already wasted too much money. Therefore, the redesign of the whole architecture will be very critical.

China is still a developing country and only has limited budgets for space. It can only choose some important fields, such as the LEO space station, Mars exploration and maybe, a human lunar mission. Placing a flag on the moon's surface is not the most important issue, but having the capability to do so.

(The author is a professor with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and also secretary of Space Transportation Committee at the International Astronautical Federation. The article reflects the author’s opinion, not necessarily the views of CGTN.)

 

[HariPrasad]

China plans to land probes on far side of moon, Mars by 2020
AP — PUBLISHED about an hour ago

China vowed Tuesday to speed up the development of its space industry as it set out its plans to become the first country to soft land a probe on the far side of the moon, around 2018, and launch its first Mars probe by 2020.

"To explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is a dream we pursue unremittingly," read a white paper setting out the country's space strategy for the next five years.

It says China aims to use space for peaceful purposes and to guarantee national security, and to carry out cutting edge scientific research.

The white paper released by the information office of China's Cabinet points to the growing ambitions of China's already rapidly advancing space program. Although the white paper doesn't mention it, China's eventual goal is the symbolic feat of landing an astronaut on the moon.

While Russia and the United States have more experience in manned space travel, China's military-backed program has made steady progress in a comparatively short time.

Since China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, it has staged a spacewalk and landed a rover on the moon in 2013 — the first time humans had soft landed anything on the moon since the 1970s.

Last month, two astronauts returned from a month-long stay aboard China's Tiangong 2 experimental space station, the country's sixth and longest crewed mission. A fully functioning, permanently crewed space station is on course to begin operations six years from now and is slated to run for at least a decade.

The white paper reiterated China's plans to launch its first Mars probe by 2020, saying this would explore and bring back samples from the red planet, explore the Jupiter system and "conduct research into major scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the solar system, and search for extraterrestrial life."

The paper says the Chang'e-4 lunar probe will help shed light on the formation and evolution of the moon.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1304770/china-plans-to-land-probes-on-far-side-of-moon-mars-by-2020

What happened ? China had a plant for Mars mission in 2018. Is it postponed by 2 more year.

 

[onebyone]

 

[JSCh]

Space station device to aid quantum physics
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-11-29 07:09

China plans to install a cutting-edge scientific instrument on its future space station, a move likely to revolutionize research into quantum mechanics, one of the most sophisticated and complex areas of physics.

The device, called a high-accuracy time-frequency cabinet, is being developed by Chinese scientists and will be used in experiments "related to the fundamentals of physics", according to Gao Lianshan, a senior researcher of atomic clocks at the Beijing Institute of Radio Metrology and Measurement, a major participant in the program.

It will be carried by the country's first manned space station, which is expected to be assembled starting in 2019 and enter service around 2022. The 60-metric-ton station will have three parts－a core module attached to two space labs－and will operate for at least 10 years, according to space authorities.

"The cabinet will be one of the most accurate chronometers ever built by man. It will have three components－a hydrogen maser, a rubidium atomic fountain and a strontium atomic light clock. The hydrogen maser will keep operating in space, while the other two will be activated by ground control or preset programs to calibrate the hydrogen maser," Gao said in an exclusive interview, adding that the International Space Station and previous stations like Russia's Mir have had no such equipment.

The device will be tasked with performing a series of scientific experiments in the space station, including one that will enable scientists to refine their knowledge about quantum mechanics.

"Among its scientific applications, our device will act as an advanced frequency reference to measure the Rydberg constant, one of the pillars of quantum mechanics. If everything goes well, Chinese scientists will be able to use the measurement results to improve the constant," Gao said.

The Rydberg constant, named after the Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg, is a physical constant pertaining to atomic spectra and is crucial to the research of quantum mechanics. Compared with measuring the accuracy of the constant on the ground, it is better when done in space because there is less interference, the scientist said.

Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics, is a physical theory that describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels of atoms and subatomic particles. Without quantum mechanics, there would be neither modern computers and mobile phones nor the internet, and therefore the modern history of humanity would be different from what it is now.

In addition to scientific purposes, the high-accuracy time-frequency cabinet also will be used to calibrate atomic clocks used in the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, Gao said.

Atomic clocks are widely considered to be the most important apparatus used in a navigation satellite because they determine the precision of its navigation and positioning service. In addition, a lot of fields such as communication networks, electrical power grids and financial systems all depend on precision timing for synchronization and operational efficiency.

Gao's institute is part of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp's Second Academy and is the largest developer of atomic clocks in the country, he said, explaining that it designs and produces all three major atomic clocks－based on the hydrogen atom, cesium atom and rubidium atom－while other domestic institutes research one or two types of them.

"Some of our atomic clocks have become the world's best in terms of accuracy and stability. We are also developing the next-generation microwave mercury ion clock to prepare for future Beidou satellites," he said.

So far, 29 satellites have been launched for the Beidou network, the first in 2000 and the most recent one this month. Most have atomic clocks designed and made by Gao's institute, he said.

 

[Han Patriot]

What happened ? China had a plant for Mars mission in 2018. Is it postponed by 2 more year.

America wouldn't allow us to use their Deep Space Network. . So we have to make our own now.

 

[JSCh]

China’s dark matter space probe detects tantalizing signal
By Dennis Normile
Nov. 29, 2017 , 1:10 PM

A long-standing challenge in physics has been finding evidence for dark matter, the stuff presumed to make up a substantial chunk of the mass of the universe. Its existence seems to be responsible for the structure of the universe and the formation and evolution of galaxies. But physicists have yet to observe this mysterious material.

Results reported today by a China-led space science mission provide a tantalizing hint—but not firm evidence—for dark matter. Perhaps more significantly, the first observational data produced by China’s first mission dedicated to astrophysics shows that the country is set to become a force in space science, says David Spergel, an astrophysicist at Princeton University. China is now "making significant contributions to astrophysics and space science," he says.

Physicists have inferred the existence of dark matter from its gravitational effect on visible matter. But it has never been observed.

China’s Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) was designed to try to fill that gap, by looking for an indirect decay signal of a hypothetical dark matter candidate called weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Researchers launched the spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, about 1600 kilometers west of Beijing, in December 2015. Its primary instrument—a stack of thin, crisscrossed detector strips—is tuned to observe the incoming direction, energy, and electric charge of the particles that make up cosmic rays, particularly electrons and positrons, the antimatter counterparts of electrons. Cosmic rays emanate from conventional astrophysical objects, like exploding supernovae in the galaxy. But if dark matter consists of WIMPs, these would occasionally annihilate each other and create electron-positron pairs, which might be detected as an excess over the expected abundance of particles from conventional objects.

In its first 530 days of scientific observations, DAMPE detected 1.5 million cosmic ray electrons and positrons above a certain energy threshold. When researchers plot of the number of particles against their energy, they’d expect to see a smooth curve. But previous experiments have hinted at an anomalous break in the curve. Now, DAMPE has confirmed that deviation. “It may be evidence of dark matter,” but the break in the curve “may be from some other cosmic ray source,” says astrophysicist Chang Jin, who leads the collaboration at the Chinese Academy of Science’s (CAS’s) Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Nanjing. The DAMPE results appear online today in Nature.

More data will be needed to confirm what DAMPE is possibly seeing. But there is good news on that front. "We expected a 3-year life for the satellite," Chang says. But given the smooth functioning of the spacecraft and its instruments, "we now expect it to last 5 years," he says. That will allow the satellite to record more than 10 billion cosmic ray events. Fan Yizhong, a mission astrophysicist also at PMO, adds that DAMPE's observations will complement those of other space- and ground-based instruments to ultimately clarify whether there is a connection between the anomalous signals and dark matter annihilation.

The DAMPE collaboration comprises four institutes under CAS, including the National Space Science Center in Beijing; also involved are the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, the University of Geneva, and Italian universities in Bari, Lecce, and Perugia. The satellite has been named Wukong, after the Monkey King character in the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West. DAMPE was also China's first mission dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics, though it was joined in space in June by the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, intended to observe x-ray and gamma ray emissions from black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, and other phenomena.

Even if DAMPE's data don't resolve the dark matter riddle, Spergel says, "These measurements will inform our understanding of cosmic ray acceleration [and] will tell us about the physical processes in shocks around supernova and the physics of pulsars."


China’s dark matter space probe detects tantalizing signal | Science | AAAS

 

[JSCh]

Scientists mull using robots on lunar research station
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-12-05 14:17

Chinese scientists are discussing the possibility of building a lunar research station with robots on duty, a senior official from the China National Space Administration said recently.

The unmanned lunar surface infrastructure should have long-term energy supply, with robots carrying out scientific research and technical experiments, the official said, according to a report on thepaper.cn.

"By constructing lunar research stations, we can carry out lunar explorations that are larger in scale and richer in content," the unnamed official said at the recent 7th International Conference on Space Technology Innovation.

The official said that Chang'e 4 lunar probe, which aims to reach the far side of the moon that has never been touched by human probes, is expected to be launched in 2018.

Chang’e 5 lunar probe, which will collect samples on moon and return, might also be launched next year, which will mark the third step in the country’s lunar program, the official said.

When the Chang’e 5 mission is completed, China will carry out three missions to investigate the geological structure and mineral composition at the lunar south pole region, taking back some samples, the official said.

China plans to carry out 4 deep space explorations between 2020 and 2030, namely Mars orbiting, landing and rover task, asteroid probe task, Mars sampling and returning task, and Jupiter and interplanetary crossing task.

China's first Mars probe will be launched by the Long March 5 carrier rocket in Wenchang, Hainan, in 2020.

 

[JSCh]

Firm wants to launch new space centers
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-12-07 08:53

China Great Wall Industry Corp, the country's largest space contractor on the international market, is considering using existing overseas launch facilities or building new ones in foreign territories to lift Chinese carrier rockets, executives said.

Yin Liming, the company's president, said on the sidelines of the fifth China Space Forum held by the company in Beijing on Tuesday that working with foreign nations to use or construct launchpads or launch centers will strengthen China's international space cooperation.

He said that this will allow China to use launch facilities that have geographic advantages such as those located near the equator.

"The closer a launch site is to the equator, the bigger carrying capacity a rocket (to be lifted from the site) will have and the less fuel it will consume," Yin said. "This will hugely boost our rockets' competitiveness in the international market."

Fu Zhiheng, vice-president of Great Wall, said several foreign nations have asked his company to help them build space launch sites, which corresponds with the company's own aspiration, but this matter involves a lot of policy and diplomatic issues and must be handled with deliberation and discretion.

He said Great Wall is also collaborating with Chinese space authorities to make plans for the construction of a new commercial launch site.

China has been providing launch services to international clients since 1990, when a United States-made communications satellite was sent into space on a Long March 3 rocket. All 45 commercial launches in China－those paid by clients other than the Chinese government or the military－were fulfilled by Great Wall using the Jiuquan, Taiyuan, Xichang and Wenchang domestic launch centers.

These centers are administered by the government and are primarily tasked with serving State programs such as lunar explorations and manned spaceflight.

According to Hu Shengyun, a senior rocket designer at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, these government-run centers are too busy to handle the increasing commercial demands.

In another development, Fu said at Tuesday's forum that Great Wall has been working with the China Satellite Navigation Office to form a space-based augmentation system for China's Beidou positioning and navigation satellites. It will enhance the accuracy of Beidou's position and navigation services.

 

[JSCh]

China turns space debris into in-orbit Internet of Things
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-08 14:32:47|Editor: Zhou Xin



SHANGHAI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have turned the final stage of a launch rocket, which is discarded in space after sending a satellite into orbit, into a smart application platform by fitting it with intelligent chips.

A program carried out by Shanghai-based Fudan University installed several intelligent chips on the final stage of the Long March 4C rocket, which sent the Fengyun-3D satellite into orbit in November.

Fudan University's Zheng Lirong, the chief scientist of the program, said discarded rocket sections during space launches constitute the largest percentage of space debris. By installing multiple chip systems on the rocket, the team has established the initial stage of a space-based Internet of Things.

He explained that the launch rocket will jettison a section when it runs out of propellant in order to decrease the mass, and the final stage of the rocket is delivered to the orbit along with the payload.

"With these intelligent chips attached, space debris can be transformed into a low-cost science experiment and communication platform," he said.

Zheng's team has taken two years to develop the functional modules and hardware to make the "nanosatellites," with each set of the functional modules weighing less than 30 grams.

The team has named the intelligent chip system "Xinyun," meaning the cloud of chips.

Internet of Things solutions are already widely employed in daily life, ranging from wearable smart gadgets, driverless vehicles to GPS-tracked grazing. [ Zheng said current applications experience common problems such as data congestion and slow transmission speeds, especially in remote and underserved regions. With the development of the space-based network, these areas could be better served.

"The system can connect space, air, ground and oceans at a low cost. It can also be seen as a useful trial in tackling the unresolved problem of dealing with space debris," said Jin Yaqiu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and supervisor of the program.

Zheng said they are still testing the system's functions and analyzing the track of orbiting debris.

 

[JSCh]

China launches new meteorological satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-15 04:08:18|Editor: Zhou Xin

China launches a new meteorological satellite, Fengyun-3D, at 2:35 a.m. Beijing Time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province, Nov. 15, 2017. A Long March-4C rocket carried the satellite into space. The satellite has entered its orbit. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongwei)

TAIYUAN, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- China launched a new meteorological satellite, Fengyun-3D, at 2:35 a.m. Beijing Time Wednesday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province.

A Long March-4C rocket carried the satellite into space. The satellite has entered its orbit.

Fengyun-3D is one of China's second generation of Polar-Orbiting Meteorological Satellites, which can provide global three dimensional all-weather and multi-spectral remote sensing images.

The satellite will form a network with the Fengyun-3C satellite, which was launched into space in September 2013, to improve the accuracy of atmospheric sounding and enhance the monitoring of greenhouse gases. The network will help China's disaster relief work.

The Fengyun-3D satellite and the Long March-4C rocket were developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The launch was the 254th mission of the Long March rocket series.

View attachment 437007
View attachment 437027​

First image received on 8th Dec 17, 14:07 BJT.

 

[JSCh]

China launches communication satellite for Algeria
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 02:02:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

China launched Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, into a preset orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan early Monday, on Dec. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua)

XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China launched Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, into a preset orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan early Monday.

The satellite was the first cooperative project in aerospace industry between the two countries. It will be used by Algeria for broadcast and television, emergency communication, distance education, e-governance, enterprise communication, broadband access and satellite-based navigation.

The satellite was launched 40 minutes after midnight by a Chinese Long March-3B carrier rocket, making it the 258th flight mission for the Long March rocket family.

​

Link to exclusive video from Chinese military network of the rocket and the launch ->

独家视频：阿尔及利亚一号通信卫星发射全...-来自中国军视网-微博视频​

 

[JSCh]

China's FAST identifies three new pulsars
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 14:12:41|Editor: Yamei



GUIYANG, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The China-based FAST, the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, has discovered three new pulsars, the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) said Tuesday.

So far, FAST has identified a total of nine pulsars since its trial operations began in September 2016.

According to Zhang Shuxin, deputy chief of the NAOC's Guizhou branch, the discovery of more pulsars will be common for FAST in the future.

Li Di, chief scientist of the NAOC radio astronomy division, in an earlier interview predicted that when FAST starts formal operations in 2019, it will find more than 100 pulsars each year.

Pulsar observation is very important as it can be used to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes and help solve many other major questions in physics.

Located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province, FAST stands for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope. It has a receiving area equivalent to about 30 football fields.

FAST's key tasks include observation of pulsars as well as exploration of interstellar molecules and interstellar communication signals.