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

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1101708711796633600

People's Daily, China
✔@PDChina

China's first Mars simulation base has been put into operation in Mangya City, NW China's Qinghai Province on March 1. The "Mars Camp" can hold 60 people in sleeping pods with a coverage of about 5.33 hectares.

1:00 PM - Mar 2, 2019

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[JSCh]

Feature: Bolivian scientist achieves scientific research dream in China
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-04 14:00:00|Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Marco Cabero, a 35-year-old Bolivian scientist, is not usually very talkative. But when it came to the recent hit film "The Wandering Earth," he began to talk himself out.

As a science fan, especially of American and English works, Cabero for the first time watched a Chinese science fiction movie, and "it really appealed to me," he said with a smile, adding that Liu Cixin's science fiction story showed great creativity by associating the remote space with the future of humanity.

In Cabero's view, the rising popularity of Chinese science fiction works like "The Wandering Earth" reflects China's growing technological strength and scientific research level, to which he is an honored witness.

In 2013, China successfully helped Bolivia launch a communications satellite, Tupac Katari. As Bolivia's first satellite, it opened up new horizons for the space cooperation between the two countries.

Cabero was a direct participant in the China-Bolivian cooperation. In 2012, he was selected from 6,000 candidates to participate in the design and development of the project in China, focusing on energy supply of solar panels on satellites.

Cabero said the satellite not only gave Bolivia a place in space, but also benefited the Bolivian people. By providing communication signals, the satellite facilitated the spread of the mobile healthcare service and distance learning to a lot of remote areas where one third of the Bolivian population lives.

Cabero returned home briefly after completing the satellite project, during which he received invitations from Japan, the United States, and China. In the end, he chose to continue his scientific research in China, because "the growth of China's scientific development is really amazing," he said.

Cabero is currently with the international school of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Besides teaching, he has also participated in experimental projects of spintronic and organic photovoltaic materials, which are closely related to aerospace.

Cabero admitted that for many Latin American researchers, China's strong financial and intellectual support is an important source of its huge attraction.

"In China, I got the opportunity to be a leader of a costly group supported by millions of RMB, to use robots as assistants in the laboratories, and to see the movements of electrons under precision instruments. Before that, I only saw these scenes in science fiction," he said.

To his greater delight, Cabero was personally mentored by two Nobel Prize laureates for his projects in China, while "in Bolivia, it's impossible to have the chance," he sighed.

According to Cabero, French scientist Albert Fert, the 2007 Nobel Prize winner in physics, and American scientist Alan Heeger, the 2000 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, would come to his laboratory each semester to guide his work. "It's really fantastic to meet them, know them, and listen to their ideas."

Cabero said that China has given him a dreamlike stage for scientific research, and the stage is now getting bigger. Earlier this year, China's Chang'e 4 successfully achieved the first soft landing of a human probe on the far side of the moon, to which he gave a thumbs-up without any hesitation.

"It marks an important step in space exploration. As I know, China is planning to launch a probe in 2020 that would orbit, land, and rove on Mars. All of these represent a nation's technological advances and comprehensive power," he said.

During his six years in China, Cabero has not only witnessed the "great development" of science and technology, but also felt the "small progress" of intelligent life.

"Every day, I use electronic payments and online shopping platforms. The technology progress will bring reformative influence and facilitate our daily life," he said.

Looking to the future, Cabero naturally linked his personal development to China. "Honestly, I had never imagined coming to China. My experiences tell me that now it's a good time to be a part of the technological reform in China, and I hope to make some contributions to promoting the development of the science and technology of China and the whole world."

 

[JSCh]

China preparing for space station missions
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-04 20:46:49|Editor: Liangyu

China's newly-developed heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-5 is in transit at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 28, 2016. The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced Monday that the core module of the country's space station, the Long March-5B carrier rocket and its payloads will be sent to the launch site in the second half of this year, to make preparations for the space station missions. China is scheduled to complete the construction of the space station around 2022. It will be the country's space lab in long-term stable in-orbit operation. (Xinhua/Sun Hao)

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced Monday that the core module of the country's space station, the Long March-5B carrier rocket and its payloads will be sent to the launch site in the second half of this year, to make preparations for the space station missions.

China is scheduled to complete the construction of the space station around 2022. It will be the country's space lab in long-term stable in-orbit operation.

The space station will have a core module and experiment modules, which are under development and will be launched into space by the Long March-5B.

Joint exercises will be carried out in the Wenchang Space Launch Center at the end of 2019 for the maiden flight of the Long March-5B.

Programs to select and train astronauts are underway.

China is committed to making the country's space station an international platform for scientific and technological cooperation, according to the CMSEO.

In June this year, the CMSEO will work with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to complete the application selection of China's space station and launch a number of cooperation projects.

China's Tiangong-2 space lab, launched on Sept. 15, 2016, is conducting in-orbit tests and will de-orbit after July this year.

 

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Successful ground thermal test run of 200-ton thrust advanced solid rocket engine

中国研发200吨推力先进固体发动机地面热试车成功

据微信公众号“航天四院”（ID：htkjsy）3月5日消息，3月5日正值全国“两会”召开之际，四院白鹿原试验新区一个令人振奋的捷报传来。

下午2点，伴随着巨大的轰鸣声，由四院自主研制的200吨推力先进固体火箭发动机地面热试车获得圆满成功！

该发动机是四院瞄准未来商业航天发射市场需求，研发的一型目前国内装药量最多、推力最大的高性能纤维缠绕复合材料壳体整体式固体发动机，发动机直径2.65米，装药量71吨，推力200吨，采用了多项新技术，综合性能达到世界一流水平，可为我国新一代固体运载火箭的研制提供更强劲、性价比更高的先进动力，有力增强了固体运载火箭在商业航天发射市场的竞争力。

早在2009年，四院就在国内率先研制成功了当时推力最大的整体式发动机，该台发动机为金属壳体，直径2米、装药量35吨、推力达120吨。它的研制成功直接推动了中国长征系列运载火箭中第一型全固体运载火箭长征十一号(CZ-11)的立项研制，成为中国航天固体动力向宇航运载领域拓展的重要里程碑。CZ-11运载火箭四级发动机全部采用固体发动机，均由航天科技四院提供，其中一级发动机便采用了120吨整体式大推力发动机。全固体发动机使得火箭最快可以实现24小时发射。自2015年9月首飞至今，CZ-11运载火箭已经取得了六战六捷的骄人成绩，累计将20多颗小卫星和微小卫星送入太空。

为进一步提升固体运载火箭的运载能力和市场竞争力，四院在CZ-11运载火箭基础上，自主开展了直径更大、推力更强、应用领域更广的先进大型纤维缠绕复合材料整体式固体发动机的预先研究。研制团队不畏艰难、勇于开拓，相继突破了超大尺寸复合材料壳体发动机的多项关键技术。本次试车的成果，可应用于未来CZ-11固体运载火箭的改进型。

与CZ-11火箭相比，改进型火箭的一级发动机可由直径2米提升到2.65米，推力可由120吨提升到200吨，装药量可由35吨提升到71吨，发动机的壳体可由原先的钢壳体发展为高性能纤维缠绕复合材料壳体，发动机综合性能更为先进。预计火箭700公里太阳同步轨道的运载能力可从420公斤提升到1.5吨左右。特别是由于集成了原有发动机的优势和近年来先进发动机的研制经验，在商业航天的大背景下，发动机的成本得到了更好的控制，相对于其他运载工具，具有更高的综合性价比优势。

 

[JSCh]

China-ESA SMILE spacecraft to launch on Vega-C in 2021 | SpaceTech Asia
By Deyana Goh - October 22, 2018

Image courtesy of China's National Space Science Center, CAS.​

Between October 10-12, scientists from China’s space programme and the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted a review of China-ESA joint mission SMILE. During the review, they confirmed that the SMILE spacecraft will be launched in 2021 on Arianespace’s upcoming Vega-C rocket, after choosing between the Soyuz, Ariane 6, and Vega-C.

The review took place at the European Aerospace Technology Center (ESTEC), where the mission requirements and systems were analyzed, ensuring they meet the mission’s scientific objectives – to study the Earth’s magnetosphere, and deepen our understanding of the Sun-Earth relationship.

SMILE (Solar-wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is the first mission since the early 1990s with such deep China-ESA collaboration, where both parties are jointly designing, implementing, launching, and operating a spacecraft together. SMILE was selected after ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) issued a joint call for mission concepts in 2015, with a feasibility study beginning in 2016.

The SMILE spacecraft will have a liftoff mass of approximately 2,000kg, and will consist of a 3.15-m-high platform built by CAS, and a payload module designed by ESA for the Vega C. After launch, it will be placed in a highly-elliptical, inclined orbit (HEO), at a maximum height of 121,000 km above the Earth – nearly a third of the way to the Moon at apogee. From this vantage point, SMILE will be able to capture images of the boundary of the Earth’s magnetic field.

SMILE will carry four payloads – (a) a Soft X-ray Imager developed by the University of Leicester, UK, along with other institutions in Europe, (b) an UltraViolet Imager jointly developed by institutions in China, Belgium, and Canada, (c) a Light Ion Analyser by institutions in China and the UK, and (d) a Magnetometer by CAS and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

The Smile mission​

ESA GIVES GO-AHEAD FOR SMILE MISSION WITH CHINA
5 March 2019

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, Smile, has been given the green light for implementation by ESA’s Science Programme Committee.

The announcement clears the way for full development of this new mission to explore the Sun-Earth connection, which will be conducted in collaboration with China.

Smile is expected to revolutionise scientists’ understanding of the physical processes taking place during the continuous interaction between particles in the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic shield – the magnetosphere.

The mission will be a major scientific endeavour in collaboration between ESA and China, following on from the success of the Double Star / Tan Ce mission which flew between 2003 and 2008. Unlike Double Star, which started out as a China-only project, Smile is envisaged from the start as a joint ESA-China mission.

The scientific collaboration began with two workshops – one held in China, one in Europe – that were held to facilitate collaboration between Chinese- and European-based researchers. This was followed by a joint call for proposals that was issued in January 2015 by ESA’s Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Following selection in November 2015, detailed studies by ESA, CAS, three European industrial contractors and the Science Study Team have finalised the mission architecture, including the space and ground elements that are required to fulfil the science requirements.

Under current plans, the 2200 kg spacecraft will be launched by a European Vega-C rocket or Ariane 6-2 in 2023, and subsequently be placed in a highly inclined elliptical orbit around Earth. Every 51 hours, Smile will fly out to 121 000 km – almost one third of the distance to the Moon – giving it a prolonged view of Earth’s northern polar regions. It will then return to within 5000 km of the planet in order to download its treasure trove of stored data to an ESA ground station in Antarctica and the CAS ground station in Sanya, China.

Aurora over northern Canada​

From this unusually elongated orbit, the satellite will be able to make continual observations of key regions in near-Earth space over a period lasting more than 40 hours. These will include simultaneous images and movies of the magnetopause – the boundary where Earth’s magnetosphere meets the solar wind – as well as the polar cusps, and the region illuminated by the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis.

Smile will offer scientists the chance to observe these key regions of Sun-Earth interaction for such long periods of time for the first time. The prime mission will last three years.

The science payload consists of four instruments: two from Europe and Canada, and two from China.

The innovative wide-field Soft X-ray Imager (SXI), provided by the United Kingdom Space Agency and other European institutions, will obtain unique measurements of the regions where the solar wind impacts the magnetosphere. The Canada-led Ultra-Violet Imager (UVI) will study global distribution of the auroras.

The two Chinese instruments, the Light Ion Analyser (LIA) and Magnetometer (MAG), will measure the energetic particles in the solar wind and changes in the local magnetic field.

ESA is also responsible for the payload module, spacecraft test facilities, launcher, launch campaign, the primary ground station; ESA will share science operations with CAS. A contract for industry to build the payload module will be announced in due course, and all spacecraft assembly and test activities will take place in Europe.

The National Space Science Center (NSSC/CAS) in China is responsible for the spacecraft platform, spacecraft testing, and mission and science operations. The platform will be built in Shanghai by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMC/CAS).

According to ESA’s Smile study scientist, Philippe Escoubet, the mission will enable important breakthroughs in studies of the ever-changing interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind.

“Smile will provide the first X-ray images and movies of the region where the solar wind slams into the magnetosphere,” says Philippe. “It will also provide the longest-ever ultraviolet imagery of the northern aurora, enabling researchers to see how the aurora changes over time and to understand how geomagnetic storms evolve.”



ESA gives go-ahead for Smile mission with China / Space Science / Our Activities / ESA

 

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China's new huge solid rocket booster completes test

2019-03-06 02:15:53 Xinhua Editor : Wang Fan

China announced Tuesday that the country's new solid rocket booster, with 200-tonne thrust engine, completed hot firing tests, proving its readiness for commercial launches.

With a diameter of 2.65 meters, the booster engine is expected to be used on the modified version of the Long March-11 rocket. The rocket is the only series in the Long March family that uses solid propellants, and it can be launched within 24 hours.

Developed by the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, it will be China's most powerful rocket booster engine, delivering a maximum thrust of 200 tonnes and the ability to carry as much as 71 tonnes of fuel.

It will have a carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes for sun-synchronous orbit.

In 2009, the academy took the lead in China in developing a rocket booster engine for the Long March-11. The previous-generation, covered with a steel shell, was 2 meters in diameter, capable of 120 tonnes of thrust and could carry 35 tonnes of fuel.

To increase its carrying capacity and market competitiveness, the new booster is made using filament winding composite material, which is better and can be applied more widely than a metal shell, said Wang Jianru, chief designer of the booster.

The successful tests mark a milestone in developing a more efficient booster engine with cost advantage for China's new-generation rocket, according to the design team.

China's first seaborne rocket launch is scheduled for mid-2019, with a Long March-11 carrier rocket set to blast off in the Yellow Sea.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2019-03-06/detail-ifzezqac5086691.shtml

 

[JSCh]

PUBLIC RELEASE: 6-MAR-2019
Effects of spaceflight on heart cell formation from stem cells
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC./GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS

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Stem Cells and Development is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system.
CREDIT: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, March 6, 2019-Researchers used time-lapse imaging to show that mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) grown during spaceflight differentiated into cardiomyocytes significantly faster than similar cells grown at Earth's gravity. The robust cardiomyocyte formation at microgravity, which lasted for 10 days, is described in an article published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Stem Cells and Development website through April 6, 2019.

Jin Zhou and Changyong Wang, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Beijing, China), Jie Na, Tsinghua University (Beijing), and a team of Chinese researchers from these institutions and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai), coauthored the article entitled "Real Microgravity Promotes Myocardial Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Results from Tianzhou-1 Space Mission."

"Good ideas are two-a-penny, but data are gold. As we move to embrace the potential of space for regenerative medicine, as well as make our preparations for manned space travel, all relevant valuable data deserve careful consideration," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.


Effects of spaceflight on heart cell formation from stem cells | EurekAlert! Science News

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

The Republic Of China (Chinese Taipei) Lunar Exploration Program

This is about the lesser known Republic Of China (R.O.C.) Lunar Exploration Program, as R.O.C. is part of China (P.R.C.).

Space Development Phase 3

Latest update: 2019/02/13 14:56

The Phase 3 plan for space exploration will last for 10 years. From 2019 to 2028, the investment will be NT$25.1 billion.

The space exploration project for Space Development Phase 3 will also develop at least one lunar orbiter.

Lin Junliang said that the First Phase must carry out the design and research of the Lunar Orbiter, and the Second Phase is the Lunar Lander. Since the orbiting the moon is different from the earth low-orbiting satellite, their is needs to have the sound ground communication technology, radiation resistance and orbital manoeuvering foundations.

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/ait/201902130125.aspx
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▲ 1. National Space Organization (NSPO) space development roadmap, 2019-2028.

The Republic Of China (Chinese Taipei) Solid Propellant Satellite Launch Vehicle Program

This is about the lesser known Republic Of China (R.O.C.) Solid Propellant Satellite Launch Vehicle Program, as R.O.C. is part of China (P.R.C.).

2019年01月08日 21:46:00

The Ministry of National Defense has developed a space launch vehicle capable of placing a 50 to 200 kilograms microsatellites into a 500-kilometer SSO orbit, under the code name "Kirin Project" (麒麟專案). It is reported that this year three sets of rocket propulsion vehicles were built. The entire project plans to manufacture six sets of rocket propulsion vehicles. After ground testing, the first flight-test will be carried out smoothly in 2021.

It is reported that starting from this year, after the Kirin project first produced three sets of rocket propulsion vehicles, each for static ground testing works, the entire project plans to manufacture six sets of rocket propulsion vehicles.

After completing the various ground testing, system integration and system testing are carried out.

Because the launch vehicle is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket, each stage separation requires a telemetry and control system. The flight attitude control cannot pilot the rocket after take off. This requires guidance. Technology that is the focus of the "Star Show Project" (星展專案). In addition, due to the weight of the rocket carrier, whether the launch platform of the existing Jiupeng base (九鵬基地) can bear the weight, the Chinese Academy of Sciences will carry out geological exploration to ensure the safety of the launch pad.

https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?SerialNo=55527
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Spoiler: Links

https://pgw.udn.com.tw/gw/photo.php...altime/5628894.jpg&x=0&y=0&sw=0&sh=0&exp=3600
http://
https://udn.com/news/story/10930/3522726

▲ 1. Jiupeng base (九鵬基地): Asia's next satellite launch center.

Spoiler: Links

https://www.upmedia.mg/upload/article/20190226113049627910.jpg
http://
https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?SerialNo=58287

▲ 2. Kirin SLV, similar to the 4 stages solid propellant Indian SLV-3 carrier rocket.

The Kirin SLV is in the same class as Iran's Safir-2 and the North Korean Kwangmyongsong (Unha-4) SLVs. But this launch vehicle is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket.

Of course, unlike with the DPRK and Iran, the double standard that prevails in the application of international laws, also known as Jungle Law, Trump will of course not bring the R.O.C. before the U.N.S.C., but support this project with complacency! Patronizing the ballistic proliferation, and the acquisition by the R.O.C. of 2'000 km medium-range ballistic missile capability.

 

[JSCh]

Robots to assist world's largest telescope FAST in Guizhou
Ecns.cn, March 6, 2019

FAST, the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. [Photo/Xinhua]

An army of robots will assist with the daily operation and maintenance of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, in Guizhou Province, said Lin Hao, deputy head of the province's Science and Technology Department.

Lin said the department has secured support from the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop an intelligent operational system, to be jointly created by top teams across the country. The robots will perform a broad range of tasks, including weed control on the slope and automatic interference detection.

The central government will earmark no less than 50 million yuan for the project, which will also receive additional support from Guizhou.

Intelligent security systems will be installed to monitor possible electromagnetic interference in real time in the core, a radio-quiet zone of the telescope, which has discovered 55 new pulsars since it started operation in 2016, he said.

FAST is expected to complete national review and acceptance procedures by the end of September. Among the 16 acceptance parameters, 12 indicators have already met or exceeded national criteria.

 

[Beast]

 

[JSCh]

14:56, 07-Mar-2019
What are China's space plans in 2019?
By Pan Zhaoyi

With the Chang'e-4 lunar probe successfully landing on the far side of the Moon on January 3, China's space program is set to reach new heights in 2019.

Pictures taken by the lunar lander and rover, the first plant on the Moon, and talks of a new lunar mission have made headlines around the world again and again.

After setting a world record with 37 successful missions last year, China's space industry is eyeing an even more successful year this year.


BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

Beidou Navigation Satellite System has started to offer services to global users. /VCG Photo

The China Satellite Navigation Office (CSNO) on Tuesday announced that China will launch eight to 10 more satellites for the Beidou Navigation Satellite System into space this year, as all medium-earth-orbit satellites launch projects near completion.

The office added the system is expected to complete its full rollout by 2020 and a more ubiquitous, integrated and smarter positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system with BDS as the core will be put in place by 2035.

China's satellite navigation services and their byproducts like chip modules have been exported to over 90 countries, and widely applied to agriculture, transportation, and public security industries.

Next month, a Beidou satellite-themed forum co-hosted by China and Arab states will take place in Tunisia to further expand cooperation and commercial application in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

CSNO and the Arabic Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) signed a joint statement during the first forum in 2017, which aimed at boosting relevant research in local industries.

The development and strategic planning manager of AICTO stressed the region's great potential, suggesting their projects with China will be able to offer services to nearly 400 million people in 22 countries.


Chang'e-5 and its family

VCG Photo

Other than wandering around the Moon and conducting basic experiments, Chang'e-5 is tasked with collecting samples from the Moon in the year-end exploration project, said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program last Sunday.

The sample will be soil from the lunar surface weighing two kilograms, according to Ye Peijian, chief designer of the lunar probe.

Scientists will be able to dig out more secrets of the Moon, and better understand the history of the Earth and the formation of the solar system based on analysis of the sample.

As for the much-hyped Chang'e-4, Wu explained the mission focus will be switched to scientific experiment projects after the lander and rover awake from their hibernation.

The projects will study the terrain of the landing site and the space environment surrounding the Moon, as well as the elements of its far side during the rest of the year.


Carrier rocket launch

A Long March-5 carrier rocket ready for launch. /VCG Photo

Read more: The must knows about Long March-5 before Sunday's takeoff

After meeting a setback in 2017 following a failed launch due to technical problems, the "chubby-5" will show up with a brand new mission -- to send the Chang'e-5 lunar probe to the Moon.

As the country's strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tons in low Earth orbit and 14 tons in geostationary transfer orbit.

Its carrying capacity is about 2.5 times that of the current main model Long March carrier rockets.

Another major event involving the Long March family this year is the scheduled blast-off of the Long March-11 from the Yellow Sea in mid-2019.

The protagonist of this seaborne show will be the first rocket using solid propellants among China's new generation carrier rockets with a takeoff weight of about 57.6 tons.

The rocket can carry a payload of up to 350 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km and 700 kg to a low-Earth orbit at 200 km.

In January, the Long March-11 sent four satellites into orbit for data collection and broader maritime navigation.

 

[JSCh]

China begins space-based broadband project
By Zhao Lei at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-12-22 08:18

The first satellite in the Hongyun project, which was planned by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) to be the country's first low-orbit broadband communications satellite constellation, was launched on Saturday at 7:51 am on a Long March 11 carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. [Photo by Li Jin/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China launched a communications satellite on Saturday, marking the start of construction of a vast space-based communications network capable of covering the entire world with broadband internet service.

The first satellite in the Hongyun project, which was planned by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) to be the country's first low-orbit broadband communications satellite constellation, was launched on Saturday at 7:51 am on a Long March 11 carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The spacecraft is tasked with verifying basic designs of Hongyun satellite and demonstrating low-orbit broadband communications technologies.

Its main payloads are Ka-band transponders and transmission antennae. It also carries several scientific and technical devices to explore Hongyun system's applications in scientific research, environmental survey as well as air and sea transportation, CASIC said in a statement.

Weighing 247 kilograms, the satellite works in a sun-synchronous orbit about 1,100kilometers above earth. It is powered by solar arrays and has a design life of one year, but is expected to operate longer, according to Xiang Kaiheng, Hongyun's chief designer at CASIC Space Engineering Development Co Ltd in Beijing, which is responsible for developing and running the Hongyun constellation.

After a yearlong in-orbit technological demonstration by the satellite, CASIC plans to launch four mass-production Hongyun satellites before the end of 2020 to form a small network for Hongyun's trial run, he said.

The Hongyun project, started by CASIC in September 2016, aims to build a space-based communications network to provide broadband internet connectivity to users around the world, especially those in underserved regions.

CASIC currently intends to place more than 150 Hongyun satellites on orbits about 1,000 kilometers above the ground around 2023, while the constellation is likely to be further expanded in response to market demands, the designer said.

Globally, the concept of running a low-cost, high-performance satellite network to provide space-based communications and internet services has become popular among industry players.

The United States' SpaceX launched two experimental satellites last month to test technologies for its Starlink project, in which tech tycoon Elon Musk proposes to put a total of nearly 12,000 satellites into orbit by the mid-2020s.

Another US firm, OneWeb, plans to launch a satellite constellation of 648 low-Earth orbit microsatellites by the end of 2019, though few developments have been reported.

Orbiting internet satellite system to begin trial run
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2019-03-08 07:03

Development and construction of the country's first low-orbit broadband communications satellite network, Hongyun, is on a fast track at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp.

The sole Hongyun satellite now in orbit will soon start a trial run to demonstrate how high-speed internet services from space can work, according to Ma Jie, Party secretary of the CASIC Second Academy, which developed the system. She is a member of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the nation's top political advisory body.

In the information age, the internet has become an inalienable part of many people's lives, but access is not always available, especially in remote or underdeveloped regions or at sea.

As a rising power in science and technology, China is enthusiastic about offering solutions, including Hongyun and others, as it moves rapidly toward a system capable of providing broadband internet anywhere in the world.

"The first Hongyun satellite has conducted communication tests with ground control. These tests were successful in establishing a space-based internet connection and proved that the Hongyun network will allow online browsing, video display and use of the WeChat instant messaging service," she said on the sidelines of the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing.

The satellite was launched atop a Long March 11 carrier rocket in late December at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The 247-kilogram satellite works in a sun-synchronous orbit about 1,100 kilometers above Earth. It is powered by solar arrays and has a design life of one year, but it is expected to operate longer, according to designers.

"In the second half of this year, the satellite will begin an application demonstration to provide communication service to a selected group of users," Ma said. "And this will become the first trial operation of low-orbit broadband internet service in China."

After a year of operations by the satellite, around the end of next year, CASIC plans to launch four Hongyun satellites to form a small network for a larger-scale trial run, she said, noting that once the four-satellite system enters service, users will have access to Wi-Fi with speeds several times faster than current internet service in Chinese households.

The Hongyun project, begun by CASIC in September 2016, aims to build a space-based communications network to provide broadband internet connectivity to users around the world, especially those in underserved regions.

CASIC intends to place more than 150 Hongyun satellites into orbit about 1,000 kilometers above Earth by about 2023. The constellation is likely to be further expanded, depending on market demand, said Xiang Kaiheng, Hongyun's chief designer.

"By that time, Hongyun users will be able to access high-speed internet anywhere and anytime in the world," Xiang said.

 

[cirr]

China to develop a quantum satellite to provide 24h-service

2019-03-10 14:14:27 CGTN Editor : Gu Liping

Special: NPC, CPPCC Sessions 2019

China plans to develop a medium-high-earth-orbit quantum communication satellite able to provide services around the clock in the next few years, Pan Jianwei, member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told CGTN at the press conference for the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee on Sunday.

When asked about the future plan for quantum communication technology, Pan said his team is planning to design a new one to supplement the Mozi satellite, which can only function at night due to interference from the sun.

The nation launched its first quantum satellite in 2016. As the world's first quantum communication satellite, Mozi is expected to provide a technical foundation for China to build a self-developed ultra-secure communication system.

The quantum satellite is designed to establish "hack-proof" communications between parties by transmitting un-crackable keys from space to ground stations.

Pan stressed that quantum technology is very crucial to future technology, especially to information transmission.

"Like driverless vehicles, you need to make sure nobody can hack your driving system, so a secure system is needed, otherwise the passenger will be in trouble when their driving information is divulged," he said.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/2019-03-10/detail-ifzffurh3758630.shtml

 

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China developing key technologies on heavy-lift rocket

2019-03-10 14:12:48 Xinhua Editor : Gu Liping

China has made significant progress in the development of the key technologies of the heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Long March-9, which is expected to make its maiden flight around 2030.

The development of the heavy-lift rocket will greatly improve China's capacity of entering outer space. The Long March-9 rocket will support China's space industry development, utilization of space resources and deep space exploration, said experts from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The rocket will have a core stage with a diameter of 9.5 meters. Its total length will be nearly 100 meters. The rocket will be able to carry payloads of 50 to 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, 15 to 50 tonnes into the lunar transfer orbit, and 12 to 44 tonnes into the Mars transfer orbit.

The carrying capacity of the Long March-9 will be five times that of the Long March-5, currently the largest carrier rocket of China.

The heavy-lift rocket is expected to help China realize manned lunar exploration, taking samples from Mars back to Earth, and other deep space explorations.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/2019-03-10/detail-ifzffurh3758612.shtml

 

[JSCh]

PUBLIC RELEASE: 6-MAR-2019
Effects of spaceflight on heart cell formation from stem cells
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC./GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS

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Stem Cells and Development is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system.
CREDIT: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, March 6, 2019-Researchers used time-lapse imaging to show that mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) grown during spaceflight differentiated into cardiomyocytes significantly faster than similar cells grown at Earth's gravity. The robust cardiomyocyte formation at microgravity, which lasted for 10 days, is described in an article published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Stem Cells and Development website through April 6, 2019.

Jin Zhou and Changyong Wang, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Beijing, China), Jie Na, Tsinghua University (Beijing), and a team of Chinese researchers from these institutions and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai), coauthored the article entitled "Real Microgravity Promotes Myocardial Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Results from Tianzhou-1 Space Mission."

"Good ideas are two-a-penny, but data are gold. As we move to embrace the potential of space for regenerative medicine, as well as make our preparations for manned space travel, all relevant valuable data deserve careful consideration," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.


Effects of spaceflight on heart cell formation from stem cells | EurekAlert! Science News

China's space research finds microgravity promotes iPS cells regenerative potential
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 14:15:53|Editor: Yurou

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Research findings from China's Tianzhou-1 Space Mission have shown that the microgravity environment in space promotes heart cell differentiation of mice induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, providing new perspectives on future human space travel.

During space travel, the human body is in a state of weightlessness due to minimal gravitational pull from the earth, which is known as microgravity. Exposure to microgravity may have a profound influence on the physiological function of human cells.

Researchers from China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University and the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences took the opportunity of the Tianzhou-1 space mission, China's first cargo spacecraft launched in 2017, to investigate how spaceflight may affect cardiac differentiation of mice iPS cells.

Pluripotency is from the Latin word pluripotentia which means the capacity for many things. In cell biology, pluripotent stem cells refer to stem cells that have the capacity to differentiate into other types of cells.

The iPS cells are a type of pluripotent stem cell artificially derived from a non-pluripotent cell. By "forcing" the expression of certain genes and transcription factors, the non-pluripotent cells can be induced to have the same genetic information as early embryonic cells.

The technique to induce cells into a pluripotent state earned two scientists the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012.

The development of iPS cells has been the rocket fuel for regenerative medicine, an experimental branch of medicine that seeks to replace diseased cells, tissues or organs.

The Chinese researchers reported on the journal Stem Cells and Development that compared with cells cultured in an identical environment with ground gravity, iPS cells differentiated significantly quicker in space. The differentiation was enhanced four days after launch and lasted for 10 days afterward, indicating robust cardiac muscle cells formation.

According to the researchers, a bioreactor was designed to perform cell culturing and the time-lapse imaging experiments in orbit. The bioreactor consisted of three principal modules: the biological experiment module which had 48 cell culturing units, medium bags, as well as pumps and connections.

During the experiment, the camera, which can function automatically or follow remote control commands, took bright-field and green fluorescence images of live cell samples, which were then transmitted to the earth.

The control experiment was carried out in an identical bioreactor with the same culturing conditions at normal gravity of the earth.

The researchers said it is the first real-time imaging study of iPS cell-derived cardiac muscle cells differentiation in space, providing rare information about iPS cells cardiac differentiation in space.

In the future, similar automated stem cell experiments may help to realize personalized cardiac tissue bio-manufacturing and drug tests during space travel, the researchers said.

Tianzhou-1 was launched on April 20, 2017 and completed an automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab two days later. The Tiangong-2 space lab, launched on Sept. 15, 2016, is conducting in-orbit tests and will de-orbit after July this year.