China Outer Space Science, Technology and Explorations: News & Updates
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Insight-HXMT Officially Begins Science Operation
Jan 30, 2018
China's first X-ray astronomy satellite, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), also known as Insight, completed its five-month period of in-orbit calibration and test observations and was officially handed over to the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) for science operation on January 30th, 2018.
Insight was launched on June 15th 2017 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Weighing nearly 2.5 metric tons, the telescope operates in a 550 km near-Earth orbit. It is jointly funded by the China National Space Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
During the commissioning period, the satellite functioned well and all the technical parameters met the design specifications. The effective detecting energy range, energy resolution and time resolution exceeded the design parameters. The energy resolution of the High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) and the Low Energy X-ray telescope (LE) match the quality of the best such instruments internationally.
In the last five months, Insight joined with the NuSTAR, INTEGRAL and Swift satellites in a series of tests, and obtained a large amount of observational data, including a survey of the galactic plane, neutron stars, black holes, and solar flares, and detected more than 30 gamma-ray bursts. Insight monitored the source area of the gravitational wave event GW170817 thoroughly, with the largest effective area and highest time resolution of all the instruments in the 0.2-5 MeV range. This significantly contributed to the global campaign which led to the first observation of a binary neutron-star merger (GW170817).
In June 2016, the Insight satellite team released their first announcement on the core scientific observation proposals. A total of 90 proposals were received from 16 institutes, colleges and universities, with a total demand for nearly 7 years of observation.
The results of the proposal evaluations were announced at the first scientific conference for HXMT users in January. Following review and selection, observations for the first year of operation of the satellite have been scheduled.
China's plan for high energy astrophysical space observations, "Discovering the Extreme Universe", has three major steps. Following Insight, the second project is the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP), which is currently in research and development and is scheduled for launch in 2025. The final step includes two satellites, Hot Universe Baryon Survey (HUBS) and Space Cosmic microwave background Polarimetry Telescope (SCPT), scheduled for launch in 2030 and 2036 respectively.
Insight-HXMT Officially Begins Science Operation---Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jan 30, 2018
China's first X-ray astronomy satellite, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), also known as Insight, completed its five-month period of in-orbit calibration and test observations and was officially handed over to the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) for science operation on January 30th, 2018.
Insight was launched on June 15th 2017 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Weighing nearly 2.5 metric tons, the telescope operates in a 550 km near-Earth orbit. It is jointly funded by the China National Space Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
During the commissioning period, the satellite functioned well and all the technical parameters met the design specifications. The effective detecting energy range, energy resolution and time resolution exceeded the design parameters. The energy resolution of the High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) and the Low Energy X-ray telescope (LE) match the quality of the best such instruments internationally.
In the last five months, Insight joined with the NuSTAR, INTEGRAL and Swift satellites in a series of tests, and obtained a large amount of observational data, including a survey of the galactic plane, neutron stars, black holes, and solar flares, and detected more than 30 gamma-ray bursts. Insight monitored the source area of the gravitational wave event GW170817 thoroughly, with the largest effective area and highest time resolution of all the instruments in the 0.2-5 MeV range. This significantly contributed to the global campaign which led to the first observation of a binary neutron-star merger (GW170817).
In June 2016, the Insight satellite team released their first announcement on the core scientific observation proposals. A total of 90 proposals were received from 16 institutes, colleges and universities, with a total demand for nearly 7 years of observation.
The results of the proposal evaluations were announced at the first scientific conference for HXMT users in January. Following review and selection, observations for the first year of operation of the satellite have been scheduled.
China's plan for high energy astrophysical space observations, "Discovering the Extreme Universe", has three major steps. Following Insight, the second project is the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP), which is currently in research and development and is scheduled for launch in 2025. The final step includes two satellites, Hot Universe Baryon Survey (HUBS) and Space Cosmic microwave background Polarimetry Telescope (SCPT), scheduled for launch in 2030 and 2036 respectively.
Insight-HXMT Officially Begins Science Operation---Chinese Academy of Sciences
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China to launch a seismo-electromagnetic probe on Friday along with ESA, Danish, Argentine, commercial and student CubeSats | GBTimes
![161237w925uxuk5ak07dnx[1].jpg](https://defence.pk/attachments/161237w925uxuk5ak07dnx-1-jpg.451309/ "161237w925uxuk5ak07dnx[1].jpg")
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China launches electromagnetic satellite to study earthquake precursors
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 16:18:47|Editor: Lifang
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future.
A Long March-2D rocket launched at 15:51 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in northwest China's Gobi Desert, carried the 730-kilogram China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 16:18:47|Editor: Lifang
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future.
A Long March-2D rocket launched at 15:51 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in northwest China's Gobi Desert, carried the 730-kilogram China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers.
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JSCh
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China launches electromagnetic satellite to study earthquake precursors
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 16:38:53|Editor: Lifang
by Xinhua writers Quan Xiaoshu, Liu Wei
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future.
A Long March-2D rocket launched at 15:51 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in northwest China's Gobi Desert, carried the 730-kilogram China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers.
Known as Zhangheng 1 in Chinese, it will help scientists monitor the electromagnetic field, ionospheric plasma and high-energy particles for an expected mission life of five years, said Zhao Jian, a senior official with China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The satellite is named after Zhang Heng, a renowned scholar of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), who pioneered earthquake studies by inventing the first ever seismoscope in the year 132.
Zhangheng 1 will record electromagnetic data associated with earthquakes above 6 magnitude in China and those above 7 magnitude around the world, in a bid to identify patterns in the electromagnetic disturbances in the near-Earth environment, Zhao said.
Covering the latitude area between 65 degrees north and 65 degrees south, it will focus on Chinese mainland, areas within 1,000 kilometers to China's land borders and two major global earthquake belts.
Zhangheng 1 was funded by CNSA, developed by China Earthquake Administration (CEA) and produced by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
Based on a CAST2000 platform, Zhangheng 1 is a cubic satellite, 1.4 meters on each side. It has a single solar panel and six booms, which will deploy and keep electromagnetic detectors more than 4 meters away from the satellite, said Zhou Feng, a senior manager with DFH Satellite Company.
It carries a high-precision magnetometer, a search-coil magnetometer and electric field probes to measure components and intensity of the magnetic and electric fields. It is also equipped with a Langmuir probe, a plasma analyzer, a GNSS occultation receiver and a tri-band beacon to measure in-situ plasma and ionospheric profile as well, Zhou said.
It also carries high-energy particle detectors, some of which are provided by Italian partners, and a magnetic field calibration device developed in Austria, according to Zhou.
China launches first shared education satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 17:14:06|Editor: Lifang
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's first shared education satellite, Young Pioneer 1, carried by the Long March-2D rocket, was launched into space from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Friday afternoon.
The 3-kg CubeSat (100 * 100 * 340mm), Young Pioneer 1, enters an orbit of 502 km above the Earth. The rocket also carried Zhangheng 1, an electromagnetic satellite to study earthquake data, and five other miniaturized satellites.
Young Pioneer 1 was manufactured and tested by Commsat, a Beijing-based private satellite company funded by the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
It will perform wireless storage and transmission of radio waves at UV frequency, space imaging and the verification of user links to the Internet of Things, said Xie Tao, founder and CEO of Commsat.
After in-orbit tests, Young Pioneer 1 will share its data resources with primary and secondary schools and other education institutions equipped with sub-stations in China. It will provide students with experiences like wireless communication and space photography, Xie said.
"Since our company is based in an industrial park for start-ups, Young Pioneer 1 could also be seen as China's first satellite made in a warehouse," Xie said.
After working for the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation for more than a decade, Xie resigned in 2014 and set up his own company in June 2015.
The shift from state-run companies to entrepreneurial warehouse indicates the increasing diversity and opportunities in China's aerospace industry.
Xie believes his company, a pioneer of commercial satellites, is more market-oriented, closer to the public and "down to earth."
"We have equipped Young Pioneer 1 with an intelligent CPU chip that will enable the satellite to restart if problems occur, just like a smart phone. In the future, the chips will be upgraded very quickly, which will help us make more intelligent nanosatellites with more functions," he said.
"To cut costs, commercial satellites also use cheaper components and parts, unlike state space missions, which are usually of strategic importance and must have no mistakes," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 16:38:53|Editor: Lifang
by Xinhua writers Quan Xiaoshu, Liu Wei
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future.
A Long March-2D rocket launched at 15:51 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in northwest China's Gobi Desert, carried the 730-kilogram China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometers.
Known as Zhangheng 1 in Chinese, it will help scientists monitor the electromagnetic field, ionospheric plasma and high-energy particles for an expected mission life of five years, said Zhao Jian, a senior official with China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The satellite is named after Zhang Heng, a renowned scholar of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), who pioneered earthquake studies by inventing the first ever seismoscope in the year 132.
Zhangheng 1 will record electromagnetic data associated with earthquakes above 6 magnitude in China and those above 7 magnitude around the world, in a bid to identify patterns in the electromagnetic disturbances in the near-Earth environment, Zhao said.
Covering the latitude area between 65 degrees north and 65 degrees south, it will focus on Chinese mainland, areas within 1,000 kilometers to China's land borders and two major global earthquake belts.
Zhangheng 1 was funded by CNSA, developed by China Earthquake Administration (CEA) and produced by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
Based on a CAST2000 platform, Zhangheng 1 is a cubic satellite, 1.4 meters on each side. It has a single solar panel and six booms, which will deploy and keep electromagnetic detectors more than 4 meters away from the satellite, said Zhou Feng, a senior manager with DFH Satellite Company.
It carries a high-precision magnetometer, a search-coil magnetometer and electric field probes to measure components and intensity of the magnetic and electric fields. It is also equipped with a Langmuir probe, a plasma analyzer, a GNSS occultation receiver and a tri-band beacon to measure in-situ plasma and ionospheric profile as well, Zhou said.
It also carries high-energy particle detectors, some of which are provided by Italian partners, and a magnetic field calibration device developed in Austria, according to Zhou.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 17:14:06|Editor: Lifang
JIUQUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's first shared education satellite, Young Pioneer 1, carried by the Long March-2D rocket, was launched into space from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Friday afternoon.
The 3-kg CubeSat (100 * 100 * 340mm), Young Pioneer 1, enters an orbit of 502 km above the Earth. The rocket also carried Zhangheng 1, an electromagnetic satellite to study earthquake data, and five other miniaturized satellites.
Young Pioneer 1 was manufactured and tested by Commsat, a Beijing-based private satellite company funded by the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
It will perform wireless storage and transmission of radio waves at UV frequency, space imaging and the verification of user links to the Internet of Things, said Xie Tao, founder and CEO of Commsat.
After in-orbit tests, Young Pioneer 1 will share its data resources with primary and secondary schools and other education institutions equipped with sub-stations in China. It will provide students with experiences like wireless communication and space photography, Xie said.
"Since our company is based in an industrial park for start-ups, Young Pioneer 1 could also be seen as China's first satellite made in a warehouse," Xie said.
After working for the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation for more than a decade, Xie resigned in 2014 and set up his own company in June 2015.
The shift from state-run companies to entrepreneurial warehouse indicates the increasing diversity and opportunities in China's aerospace industry.
Xie believes his company, a pioneer of commercial satellites, is more market-oriented, closer to the public and "down to earth."
"We have equipped Young Pioneer 1 with an intelligent CPU chip that will enable the satellite to restart if problems occur, just like a smart phone. In the future, the chips will be upgraded very quickly, which will help us make more intelligent nanosatellites with more functions," he said.
"To cut costs, commercial satellites also use cheaper components and parts, unlike state space missions, which are usually of strategic importance and must have no mistakes," he added.
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JSCh
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Chinese scientists create global carbon dioxide distribution diagram
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 19:04:40|Editor: Jiaxin
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have analyzed data from the country's carbon satellite and created the first global carbon dioxide distribution diagrams.
The diagrams aim to provide satellite data support to research on climate change and carbon emissions, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Friday.
The diagram for April 2017 showed that the northern hemisphere had higher carbon dioxide levels than the southern hemisphere.
The carbon dioxide level of northern hemisphere showed a tendency of decreasing from spring to summer, indicating more carbons were absorbed by the ecosystem, according to scientists.
The diagrams indicate that the regions with frequent human activity had higher carbon dioxide levels.
On Dec. 22, 2016, China launched a carbon dioxide monitoring satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert. China was the third country, after Japan and the United States, to monitor greenhouse gases using its own satellite.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-02 19:04:40|Editor: Jiaxin
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have analyzed data from the country's carbon satellite and created the first global carbon dioxide distribution diagrams.
The diagrams aim to provide satellite data support to research on climate change and carbon emissions, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Friday.
The diagram for April 2017 showed that the northern hemisphere had higher carbon dioxide levels than the southern hemisphere.
The carbon dioxide level of northern hemisphere showed a tendency of decreasing from spring to summer, indicating more carbons were absorbed by the ecosystem, according to scientists.
The diagrams indicate that the regions with frequent human activity had higher carbon dioxide levels.
On Dec. 22, 2016, China launched a carbon dioxide monitoring satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert. China was the third country, after Japan and the United States, to monitor greenhouse gases using its own satellite.
JSCh
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East Asia VLBI Radio Telescope Network to Start Scientific Commission
Feb 05, 2018
East Asia Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EA VLBI Network, EAVN), a network composed of 21 radio telescopes from China, Japan and South Korea, has been astronomically operational and will begin scientific commissioning soon, according to information released recently.
The fully-operated EAVN, with diverse sub-array configurations and frequency setups, is expected to cover a wide range of areas including maser studies (e.g. hydroxyl, methanol, water from star forming regions and SiO masers in late-type stars, and extragalactic maser sources), transients (e.g. pulsars, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts), jets of active galactic nucleus, space exploration and tracking, astrometry and geodesy.
Some new telescopes are under construction (e.g., 110 meter telescope in Xinjiang, China) or planned (Thailand VLBI network, the expansion of KVN), continuously enlarging the EAVN family and increasing its performance significantly.
EAVN’s full operation will yield a high angular resolution similar to a telescope with an effective diameter of thousands kilometers.
“Compared with some existing VLBI networks, the EAVN is in a state of gradual, steady growth over the past few years. It not only integrates the resources and expertise in East Asia, but also fosters stronger regional collaboration in order to maximize science and technology developmental gains.” said Dr. AN Tao, a researcher from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
AN and his collaborators on the project, Dr. SOHN Bong Won (Korea) and Dr. IMAI Hiroshi (Japan), published a paper on Nature Astronomy, introducing the capabilities and prospects of the network.
The EAVN is expected to play a major role in building a worldwide radio telescope network for the next generation. Such academic collaborations in East Asia will provide a great opportunity to expand the discovery fields in astronomy and space science and form a successful model of international academic collaborations with a sustainable operation scheme.
![DUuPpFvX0AEyFxY[1].jpg](https://defence.pk/attachments/duuppfvx0aeyfxy-1-jpg.451869/ "DUuPpFvX0AEyFxY[1].jpg")
Figure: The geographical distribution of the EAVN telescopes, including 21 telescopes with sizes ranging between 11m and 500 m (FAST), with baselines spanning between ~6 - 5000 km, typically operational in the 2.3 - 43 GHz (ten billion Hz) frequencies. The highest resolution is about 0.5 mas at 22 GHz. More telescopes in the near future will even broaden the science capability of EAVN. (Image by AN Tao et al.)
Feb 05, 2018
East Asia Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EA VLBI Network, EAVN), a network composed of 21 radio telescopes from China, Japan and South Korea, has been astronomically operational and will begin scientific commissioning soon, according to information released recently.
The fully-operated EAVN, with diverse sub-array configurations and frequency setups, is expected to cover a wide range of areas including maser studies (e.g. hydroxyl, methanol, water from star forming regions and SiO masers in late-type stars, and extragalactic maser sources), transients (e.g. pulsars, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts), jets of active galactic nucleus, space exploration and tracking, astrometry and geodesy.
Some new telescopes are under construction (e.g., 110 meter telescope in Xinjiang, China) or planned (Thailand VLBI network, the expansion of KVN), continuously enlarging the EAVN family and increasing its performance significantly.
EAVN’s full operation will yield a high angular resolution similar to a telescope with an effective diameter of thousands kilometers.
“Compared with some existing VLBI networks, the EAVN is in a state of gradual, steady growth over the past few years. It not only integrates the resources and expertise in East Asia, but also fosters stronger regional collaboration in order to maximize science and technology developmental gains.” said Dr. AN Tao, a researcher from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
AN and his collaborators on the project, Dr. SOHN Bong Won (Korea) and Dr. IMAI Hiroshi (Japan), published a paper on Nature Astronomy, introducing the capabilities and prospects of the network.
The EAVN is expected to play a major role in building a worldwide radio telescope network for the next generation. Such academic collaborations in East Asia will provide a great opportunity to expand the discovery fields in astronomy and space science and form a successful model of international academic collaborations with a sustainable operation scheme.
JSCh
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Astronomers ready to unveil prototype radio dish for landmark observatory
By Sarah Wild
Feb. 5, 2018 , 1:50 PM
![SKA1_SA_closeup_highres[1].jpg](https://defence.pk/attachments/ska1_sa_closeup_highres-1-jpg.451965/ "SKA1_SA_closeup_highres[1].jpg")
Artist’s conception of the portion of the Square Kilometer Array to be built in South Africa.
SKA Organisation
A landmark radio astronomy project is about to unveil its first prototype dish antenna.
Tomorrow, researchers and engineers with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)—to be the largest radio telescope in the world—will inaugurate the dish at a test site in Shijiazhuang, China. And they expect to erect a sister prototype in South Africa by April. But funding, technical, and bureaucratic challenges have forced planners to downsize the first phase of the SKA—envisioned to include hundreds of dishes in South Africa and thousands in Australia—and delay completion by at least 2 years, to 2026.
Still, SKA officials are thrilled to see the first prototypes appear. “It’s great to actually see metal being deployed,” says Phil Diamond, director-general of the SKA Organisation, based in Manchester, U.K. “This is the culmination of a 5-year design program.”
When complete, the SKA will be much more sensitive than current radio telescopes that collect electromagnetic signals from space. In the first phase, Australia is expected to host some 130,000 dishes designed to collect low-frequency signals, while South Africa will host nearly 200 midfrequency dishes. Planners hope to substantially increase those numbers in a second phase. Researchers will use data collected by the linked arrays to investigate a wide range of questions, including what happened just after the big bang and whether there is other life in the universe.
The €674 million project, now backed by 10 partner countries, originally hoped to begin construction in 2018. But that date was pushed back to 2020 as a result of organizational hurdles, including negotiations over how intellectual property and contracts will be allocated to partner countries, and funding troubles forced a downsizing. Diamond says those issues have been resolved, but that countries still need to sign the legal documents.
In the meantime, the first prototype midfrequency dish, built by Chinese company CETC54 in collaboration European partner companies, will be unveiled tomorrow in China, to be joined within a few months by a second prototype in South Africa. The Chinese-led consortium’s design won out against Canadian and South African competitors, in part because of the dish’s superior structural integrity. The midfrequency dishes will need to survive the telescope’s 50-year operational life, so they will be rigorously tested.
Researchers expect to spend at least 6 months, and likely more, testing the two prototypes before attempting to move to full-scale production. “They’re at the start of a long road,” says Tony Beasley, head of the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. (The United States is not a SKA partner.) “You need to make sure design is correct.”
Astronomers ready to unveil prototype radio dish for landmark observatory | Science | AAAS
By Sarah Wild
Feb. 5, 2018 , 1:50 PM
SKA Organisation
A landmark radio astronomy project is about to unveil its first prototype dish antenna.
Tomorrow, researchers and engineers with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)—to be the largest radio telescope in the world—will inaugurate the dish at a test site in Shijiazhuang, China. And they expect to erect a sister prototype in South Africa by April. But funding, technical, and bureaucratic challenges have forced planners to downsize the first phase of the SKA—envisioned to include hundreds of dishes in South Africa and thousands in Australia—and delay completion by at least 2 years, to 2026.
Still, SKA officials are thrilled to see the first prototypes appear. “It’s great to actually see metal being deployed,” says Phil Diamond, director-general of the SKA Organisation, based in Manchester, U.K. “This is the culmination of a 5-year design program.”
When complete, the SKA will be much more sensitive than current radio telescopes that collect electromagnetic signals from space. In the first phase, Australia is expected to host some 130,000 dishes designed to collect low-frequency signals, while South Africa will host nearly 200 midfrequency dishes. Planners hope to substantially increase those numbers in a second phase. Researchers will use data collected by the linked arrays to investigate a wide range of questions, including what happened just after the big bang and whether there is other life in the universe.
The €674 million project, now backed by 10 partner countries, originally hoped to begin construction in 2018. But that date was pushed back to 2020 as a result of organizational hurdles, including negotiations over how intellectual property and contracts will be allocated to partner countries, and funding troubles forced a downsizing. Diamond says those issues have been resolved, but that countries still need to sign the legal documents.
In the meantime, the first prototype midfrequency dish, built by Chinese company CETC54 in collaboration European partner companies, will be unveiled tomorrow in China, to be joined within a few months by a second prototype in South Africa. The Chinese-led consortium’s design won out against Canadian and South African competitors, in part because of the dish’s superior structural integrity. The midfrequency dishes will need to survive the telescope’s 50-year operational life, so they will be rigorously tested.
Researchers expect to spend at least 6 months, and likely more, testing the two prototypes before attempting to move to full-scale production. “They’re at the start of a long road,” says Tony Beasley, head of the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. (The United States is not a SKA partner.) “You need to make sure design is correct.”
Astronomers ready to unveil prototype radio dish for landmark observatory | Science | AAAS
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Guizhou applies to set up SKA Asian center
2018-02-08 10:00 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping
Southwest China's Guizhou Province, home to the world's largest single-dish radio telescope FAST, will apply to build an Asian center for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) this year.
An array is a collection of telescopes and instruments spread over a wide area, working in concert with one another. The SKA is an international effort by 20 countries, including China, to build the world's largest radio telescope using arrays.
Australia and South Africa have already started work on their arrays.
Construction of the SKA proper is expected to begin this year with observations commencing in 2020.
The SKA will be able to detect faint radio waves from deep space with a sensitivity about 50 times greater than that of the orbiting Hubble telescope. Individual radio telescopes will be linked to create a total collecting area of about 1 million square meters.
Guizhou's science and technology department together with the Gui'an New Area hope to build an SKA Asian center in the province, taking advantage of the preeminence of FAST in the field.
Guizhou, one of the least developed regions in China, has become a leader in big data with a suitable climate, power supply and network infrastructure. Apple and Huawei have big data centers there.
"The SKA will generate at least 1,000 times more data than FAST," said Zhi Qijun, head of the school of physics and electronic science, Guizhou Normal University. "The SKA will be a challenge to both software and hardware of big data centers as it sets much higher requirement for transmission, storage, and processing."
Hosting the SKA Asian center could take Guizhou to the very front of the big data industry, Zhi added.
http://www.ecns.cn/2018/02-08/291969.shtml
2018-02-08 10:00 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping
Southwest China's Guizhou Province, home to the world's largest single-dish radio telescope FAST, will apply to build an Asian center for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) this year.
An array is a collection of telescopes and instruments spread over a wide area, working in concert with one another. The SKA is an international effort by 20 countries, including China, to build the world's largest radio telescope using arrays.
Australia and South Africa have already started work on their arrays.
Construction of the SKA proper is expected to begin this year with observations commencing in 2020.
The SKA will be able to detect faint radio waves from deep space with a sensitivity about 50 times greater than that of the orbiting Hubble telescope. Individual radio telescopes will be linked to create a total collecting area of about 1 million square meters.
Guizhou's science and technology department together with the Gui'an New Area hope to build an SKA Asian center in the province, taking advantage of the preeminence of FAST in the field.
Guizhou, one of the least developed regions in China, has become a leader in big data with a suitable climate, power supply and network infrastructure. Apple and Huawei have big data centers there.
"The SKA will generate at least 1,000 times more data than FAST," said Zhi Qijun, head of the school of physics and electronic science, Guizhou Normal University. "The SKA will be a challenge to both software and hardware of big data centers as it sets much higher requirement for transmission, storage, and processing."
Hosting the SKA Asian center could take Guizhou to the very front of the big data industry, Zhi added.
http://www.ecns.cn/2018/02-08/291969.shtml
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China's Jupiter Exploration Mission
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Latest video from Tiangong-1
▲ Tiangong 1 space station, passing by the star Unukalha ( Cor Serpentis.). Published on Feb 13, 2018
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Latest astrophotographies from China's 2 orbital space laboratories: Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2
▲ TIANGONG 1 pass captured from Tanegashima on 12 January 2018, 18:28-18:29 JST, 20 seconds x 4, f/2.8, ISO 640, APS-C10 mm, PENTAX K-5II s
Estimated Magnitude: 0.5
▲ TIANGONG 2 pass under Orion captured from Tanegashima on 8 February 2018, 19:03:23 JST, 84 seconds, f/3.2, ISO 1250, APS-C21 mm, PENTAX K-5II s
Estimated Magnitude: 1.9
https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...5/?temp_hash=9ae44ec5948faada7b8ca72648b540e2
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTVQUoLVQAEYjbG.jpg
https://twitter.com/makkisse999/status/951756393928736769
#天宮1号 (TIANGONG 1)の通過を撮影。予報0.5等級、南西から北東へ。最高通過点高度67°(方位327°)。18:28~18:29 頃、太陽高度-12。ほとんど雲に隠れましたが影に入る前に見えました。 露出20秒x4枚 SiriusComp 64 比較明合成, 対角魚眼 トリミング #人工衛星 #TIANGONG #落下中
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTVQUoLVQAEYjbG.jpg
https://twitter.com/makkisse999/status/951756393928736769
#天宮1号 (TIANGONG 1)の通過を撮影。予報0.5等級、南西から北東へ。最高通過点高度67°(方位327°)。18:28~18:29 頃、太陽高度-12。ほとんど雲に隠れましたが影に入る前に見えました。 露出20秒x4枚 SiriusComp 64 比較明合成, 対角魚眼 トリミング #人工衛星 #TIANGONG #落下中
Estimated Magnitude: 0.5
https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...6/?temp_hash=9ae44ec5948faada7b8ca72648b540e2
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVgmzNyV4AAfQ2W.jpg
https://twitter.com/makkisse999/status/961561482046578688
#天宮2号 (TIANGONG-2)の通過を撮影。予報1.9等級, 最高通過点高度35°。南西からオリオン座の下を通り南東へ。目視出来ましたが近くの野焼きの煙を食らってコントラスト低下したのでかなり画像調整。 #人工衛星 #TIANGONG #アストロトレーサー
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVgmzNyV4AAfQ2W.jpg
https://twitter.com/makkisse999/status/961561482046578688
#天宮2号 (TIANGONG-2)の通過を撮影。予報1.9等級, 最高通過点高度35°。南西からオリオン座の下を通り南東へ。目視出来ましたが近くの野焼きの煙を食らってコントラスト低下したのでかなり画像調整。 #人工衛星 #TIANGONG #アストロトレーサー
Estimated Magnitude: 1.9
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First Photo Of The 4.2 Meters Diameter Kuaizhou-21 Stage
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https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...2/?temp_hash=ba7c656eb516ec075e32619b1620d406
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https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eSR5wdkiW79ZJqFxLphxbA
https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2460050-1-1.html
https://img.supmil.net/data/attachment/forum/201802/22/114555nvijsvpvcvi591py.jpg
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https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eSR5wdkiW79ZJqFxLphxbA
https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2460050-1-1.html
https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...3/?temp_hash=ba7c656eb516ec075e32619b1620d406
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https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eSR5wdkiW79ZJqFxLphxbA
https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2460050-1-1.html
https://img.supmil.net/data/attachment/forum/201802/22/114551aazmuhmum2ui2uj2.jpg
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https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eSR5wdkiW79ZJqFxLphxbA
https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2460050-1-1.html
2018-2-22 11:49 编辑
航天科工集团刘石泉副总经理在孙建江执行总裁等领导的陪同下，参观了精功碳纤维产业园缠绕车间和碳纤维复合材料检测中心项目工地，进一步了解了快舟火箭超大筒体项目的生产情况和下一步生产计划，对项目的进展情况予以充分肯定，并提出了更高要求。在参观过程中，刘石泉副总经理向节日期间坚守在工作岗位的工人们送上了慰问品，并向他们表达了新春的问候，祝福他们在新的一年里身体健康、阖家欢乐。同时，希望他们再接再厉、坚守岗位、加快生产，保质保量完成生产任务。
CASIC Fourth Academy's (航天科工集团四院) Deputy General Manager Liu Shiquan (刘石泉副总经理) visited on 19 February 2018, the carbon fiber industrial park, on the occasion of the most auspicious Chinese New Year 2018.
He was informed on the latest progress made on development and also production of China's Kuaizhou heavy solid propellant launch vehicle program.
He expressed the need to achieve even higher results. He also presented to the unit workers' New Year gifts and wished them good luck and good health in the coming year.
https://lt.cjdby.net/thread-2460050-1-1.html
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On the occasion of the most auspicious 2018 Chinese New Year, CASIC 4th Academy will proceed with the first test of key technologies of its latest 4.2 meters diameter solid propellant rocket engine, to be followed in the second half of 2018 by a full scale ground static firing.
This booster will be the world's largest solid fuel rocket engine, dwarfing the U.S.' 3.7 meters diameter engine.
The said engine will allow the Kuaizhou-21 launcher to place 20 tons in LEO, and even 70 tons in LEO with Kuaizhou-31.
