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

[JSCh]

Chinese astronomers discover new asteroid to fly by Earth
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-03 13:27:07|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronomers recently discovered a new asteroid and predicted that it would fly by Earth in early May.

The asteroid, designated 2020 DM4, was found by the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the end of February.

"2020 DM4 is approaching Earth. We estimate that the closest distance between the asteroid and Earth would be about 7.35 million km. It has some potential threat, but we need not worry about it," said Zhao Haibin, head of the Near-Earth Object Survey Telescope research team at PMO.

Astronomers used the China Near-Earth Object Survey Telescope based in Xuyi, eastern China's Jiangsu Province, to survey in the direction of Leo on the night of Feb. 26, and discovered a dim moving object, whose apparent velocity is quite different from that of a typical main-belt asteroid.

They reported to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC) and shared the information with other countries. After that, another eleven telescopes around the globe jointly tracked and monitored the asteroid.

Based on the global observation data, astronomers determined the orbit of 2020 DM4, and the MPC announced the discovery of this potentially hazardous asteroid on Feb. 29.

China joined the International Asteroid Warning Network in February 2018, and the PMO is pushing forward the construction of China's own near-Earth object monitoring, warning and observation network.

However, China's ability in near-Earth object monitoring and warning is still limited. China needs to develop larger telescopes to improve its ability and play a more important role in the field of international asteroid monitoring and early warning, said Zhao.

 

[JSCh]

First dwarf planet in solar system named after Chinese mythical figure
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-03 14:35:25|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The largest unnamed planet in the solar system has recently been named after the Chinese water god Gonggong by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

This is the first and only dwarf planet in the solar system that has a Chinese name, according to the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences Tuesday.

Gou Lijun, a researcher at the observatory, said the naming is an important event that will help Chinese astronomy gain global attention, as most dwarf planets are named after Greek and Roman mythical figures.

"It will not only help promote a more international understanding of Chinese culture, including ancient myths, but also attract more Chinese astronomers and stargazers to pay attention to the 'Gonggong' planet," said Gou.

The planet, coded 2007OR10, was discovered in 2007 by three astronomers on the far edge of the solar system, outside Neptune's orbit. It is one of the reddest celestial bodies found in the Kuiper Belt in the solar system, and it rotates around the sun in an elliptical orbit.

The official naming was produced through an online vote in 2019 launched by one of its discoverers. The three candidates were the Chinese water god Gonggong, the Germanic Winter Goddess Holle and the God Vili from Norse mythology. They are all mythological characters related to water, ice, snow and the color red.

In the end, the Chinese water god, with red hair, the head of a human and the body of a snake, won the competition, and its name was submitted to the IAU. In late February, the Minor Planet Center of the IAU accepted the name and updated its catalog.

Gonggong is the fifth-largest dwarf planet detected in the solar system so far. Can we see Gonggong at night? The answer is no because it is too far away from Earth.

Scientists estimated the planet has a diameter of 1,230 km, 35 percent of the moon's diameter, and its weight is only 2.4 percent that of the moon. It rotates very slowly, with a period of 44.81 hours.

In Chinese mythology, however, Gonggong was a short-tempered god, who always created chaos, leading to floods and landslides.

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

China tests Mars probe for 2020 Mars mission

March 10, 2020

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Aerospace Control Center announced on Tuesday that China completed a probe test ahead of an exploration mission to Mars this year.

The wireless network test is the only joint ground rehearsal between the mission center and the spacecraft.

According to the center, the test has not been affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic, and the technical staff is working hard to ensure the success of the mission.

As scheduled, China's first Mars exploration mission will take place in 2020. Cui Xiaofeng, head of the mission team, said the spaceflight control would be difficult and full of challenges as the Mars probe would take nearly seven months to land on the planet.

Several countries have revealed plans for launching Mars probe missions this year.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/0310/c90000-9666767.html ​

Commentary

China will do in one shot, what the Soviet/Rus' could never achieve in two decades of fruitless attempts and dozens of space probes spoiled (and even 100% Soviet failure in 6 landing attempts, with only 14 seconds functional probe once on the surface), thus having wasted in the process billions of rubles much needed for its social and economic development, and ending consequently with a catastrophic surrender at the end of the cold war: a successful mars landing at the first attempt!

And this, by next year! A feat that not even the U.S. could realize at the first launch. (The first U.S. landing on Mars was attempted by Viking-1 only after four Mariner probes flybys and two more Mariner orbiters. This means after 6 missions, and 11 years -from 1964 to 1975-. The first U.S. rover, Sojourner would only be launched after 2 more missions and 21 years later, in 1996.)

After this first step, China will start the development of Mars, based on the first come first served basis. First a small outpost, then large scale robotic mining for its mineral resources, including the most strategic rare earth. With these rare earth minerals, the electronic industry will be able to populate the entire red planet with AI industrial robots, and also military ones. Therefore ensuring the armed defence of this vital asset, in deterring the eternal greedy 8 Allied Powers' imperialists (U.S./E.U. and Vrus') from stealing it from the Chinese people. Lastly, new spaceships will be designed in Martian research institutes and produced in Martian factories by the Chinese robots scientist and robot engineers, allowing the further conquest of the Moon, Venus and Mercury, and as far as the satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

By 2049, the P.R.C. will celebrate its founding's centennial, after having finally implemented the policy of Socialism with Chinese characteristic over the entire Solar system, and totaling some 100 billions citizens -humans on Earth, robotic and synthetic-organic on all the other planets-!

Dream on pal, dream on, no one can state how Mars missions will work out... its EXTREMELY dangerous and very very difficult to complete such missions!

Dude, the same Indo-Euro butthurt sour grapes already said this back in January when China was the first nation in the world at the forefront of the fight against the most deadly Coronavrus' or COVID-19, the acronym used in the U.S. military for Covert Operation with Virus Inducing Death # 2019.

And see today...China is the first in the world to have emerged victorious, while both the Paleo Romans centered around ‎Pasargadae‎, the Mediterranean Romans settled around Mediolanum and the New Romans settled around Washingtonium are totally overwhelmed by the scope of the scientific, medical, logistic, economic and industrial challenges posed by this pandemic, letting the numbers of their infected and deaths soaring like space rockets totally out of control!

Meanwhile, this latest hard won victory has already demonstrated that China, under the most wise leadership of the CPC of Comrade President Xi Jinping is the sole superpower on earth qualified to take the lead for humankind in every fields of developments, including the space conquest that will see the Chinese civilization span from Mercury to the Oort Cloud before 3 decades! Deal with it!

 

[JSCh]

LM-7A at Hainan's Wenchang. Seem to be undergoing a launch dress rehearsal.

LM-7A ready to be launch in a little while.

Breaking!! LM-7A maiden flight successfully lift off.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1239547196552499200

 

[onebyone]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1239548525756780545

https://twitter.com/x/status/1239550020392824832

 

[Akasa]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1239548525756780545

https://twitter.com/x/status/1239550020392824832

CZ-7A has failed! 3rd stage malfunctioned. India is now officially and undoubtedly ahead of the Chinese space program.

 

[JSCh]

China's Long March-7A carrier rocket fails in maiden flight
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-16 23:18:01|Editor: huaxia

WENCHANG, Hainan, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The first of China's new medium-sized carrier rocket Long March-7A suffered a failure Monday.

The rocket blasted off at 9:34 p.m. Beijing Time from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on the coast of south China's Hainan Province, but a malfunction occurred later.

Chinese space engineers will investigate the cause of the failure.

 

[JSCh]

ZCY宗
今天 10:26 来自 HUAWEI P30 Pro
长征五号乙转运合练#长征五号乙# @China航天 @林晓弈
Today 10:26
Long March 5B dress rehearsal.

 

[JSCh]

More picture from weibo ...

 

[JSCh]

Space station core module, manned spacecraft arrive at launch site
Xinhua, January 21, 2020

A core module prototype of China's space station and a prototype of China's new-generation manned spacecraft arrived at the launch site in south China's Hainan Province after a week of ocean and rail transport, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced Monday.

The core module will take part in joint rehearsals with the Long March-5B carrier rocket at the Wenchang Space Launch Center while the new manned spacecraft will be launched by the rocket's maiden flight in the first half of this year.

This means the building of China's space station in space will begin soon, the CMSEO said.

The core module, named Tianhe (harmony of the heavens), will function as the command and control center of the space station. It is 16.6 meters long with a diameter of 4.2 meters and a takeoff weight of 22.5 tonnes.

As the largest spacecraft ever developed by China, Tianhe will accommodate three astronauts and serve as a space laboratory to carry out scientific research and technological verifications, the CMSEO said.

The new-generation manned spacecraft is 8.8 meters long and has a takeoff weight of 21.6 tonnes. It will be used for transporting crew to the space station and to conduct China's future manned lunar missions.

China is scheduled to complete the construction of the space station around 2022.

The Long March-5B rocket is scheduled to arrive at the launch site in early February, the CMSEO said.

​

China’s new crewed spacecraft is getting ready for launch
Mar 22, 2020
SciNews

China’s new-generation crewed spacecraft is being prepared for launch at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan Province, China. Compared with the Shenzhou spacecraft, it is larger, designed to be reusable and it can carry both astronauts and cargo. The spacecraft (CMS) is scheduled to be launched in April. Yang Qing, chief designer of CMS, China Academy of Space Technology, explains the measures taken to ensure the work quality. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)

 

[JSCh]

China completes new large solar telescope
Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-24 20:27:37|Editor: huaxia

The 1.8-meter Chinese Large Solar Telescope obtains images of the solar atmosphere on Dec. 10, 2019. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

The solar telescope will be used to observe solar activity, offering data support for solar research and space weather forecast.

BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday that they have built the country's first and one of the world's largest solar telescope, to better observe and forecast solar activity.

The Chinese Large Solar Telescope (CLST), with a 1.8-meter aperture, was developed by the academy's Institute of Optics and Electronics. It caught the first batch of high-resolution images of the solar atmosphere on Dec. 10, 2019, an academy statement said.

Many countries have stepped up efforts to build 2-meter and larger solar telescopes in recent years. The world's large solar telescopes that have been built include the 1.6-meter GST in the United States and the 1.5-meter GREGOR in Germany.

The observation results from the ground-based Chinese Large Solar Telescope. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

The U.S. 4-meter solar telescope DKIST has not yet been put into operation, and the European 4-meter EST has just begun designing and developing.

Previous to the CLST, the largest solar telescope in China was the 1-meter New Vacuum Solar Telescope developed by the academy's Yunnan Observatories.

According to Rao Changhui, leading the project, the CLST will be equipped with a group of systems for adaptive optics, magnetic field detection and velocity field detection.

As solar activity are increasingly frequent, space weather events will become more severe. In the future, the solar telescope will be used to observe solar activity, offering data support for solar research and space weather forecast, Rao said.

 

[JSCh]

China’s new crewed spacecraft is getting ready for launch
Mar 22, 2020
SciNews

China’s new-generation crewed spacecraft is being prepared for launch at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan Province, China. Compared with the Shenzhou spacecraft, it is larger, designed to be reusable and it can carry both astronauts and cargo. The spacecraft (CMS) is scheduled to be launched in April. Yang Qing, chief designer of CMS, China Academy of Space Technology, explains the measures taken to ensure the work quality. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)

China's experimental manned spacecraft awaits launch
2020-03-26 12:56:21 Ecns.cn Editor : Mo Hong'e

(Gif photo from CCTV)​

(ECNS) -- China has completed inspection of an experimental manned spacecraft at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The experimental spacecraft is to be launched by a Long March 5B carrier rocket.

Larger than the Shenzhou spacecraft, this trial version of new-generation spacecraft was developed for future manned missions to and from the China's Space Station.

The ship features technologies such as re-entry and return control, heat protection, and recycling.

Designed with new materials and structure, its heat-resistant capacity is three to four times that of the Shenzhou spacecraft.

The launch will also test a safer "parachute plus bag" landing mode.

It is designed to carry out both low-earth orbit and deep-space exploration missions.

The developers plan to use the re-entry capsule 10 times to reduce costs.

The Long March-5B carrier rocket is a modified version of the Long March-5, currently China's largest carrier rocket, and will be mainly used for sending capsules of China's space station and large spacecraft to the low-Earth orbit.

 

[JSCh]

 

[JSCh]

China builds Asia's largest steerable radio telescope for Mars mission
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:21:26|Editor: huaxia

Construction site of the steerable radio telescope in Wuqing District of northern China's Tianjin. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

With an antenna the size of nine basketball courts, a radio telescope built in north China will help receive data from the country's first Mars exploration mission.

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China is constructing the largest steerable radio telescope in Asia with a 70-meter-diameter antenna to receive data from its first Mars exploration mission which is expected to be launched this year.

China aims to complete orbiting, landing and roving on the red planet in one mission, which has been named Tianwen-1.

The telescope, with an antenna the size of nine basketball courts, was built by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuqing District of northern China's Tianjin.

It will be a key facility to receive scientific data sent back by the Mars probe, which can be up to 400 million km from Earth, and the signals will be very weak, said Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of China's first Mars exploration mission.

An illustration of data transmission between Earth and Mars (Photo provided to Xinhua)

China has successfully launched four lunar probes and completed orbiting and landing on the moon.

However, the distance between the moon and Earth is about 360,000 km to 400,000 km, while the distance between Mars and Earth is 56 million km to 400 million km. The longest Earth-Mars distance is 1,000 times that between Earth and the moon.

"Therefore, receiving extremely weak signals from Mars will be a great challenge," Li said, adding that only a telescope with a large antenna, working in combination with three existing telescopes in Beijing and the southern Chinese city of Kunming, can realize the data receiving.

The construction of the telescope began in October 2018 and is expected to be completed this year. Many new technologies have been utilized to improve efficiency and reduce interference noises, according to Li.

Scientists and workers pose for a photo after the antenna installation at the construction site of the steerable radio telescope in Wuqing District of northern China's Tianjin. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

With a similar natural environment to Earth, Mars has become a hot destination of deep space exploration. Among the over 40 Mars exploration missions since 1961, only about half succeeded.

The exploration of Mars will not only investigate whether there is or was life on Mars but also help bring to light the history of evolution and future development trends of Earth, as well as search for potential living space for human beings, Li said.

The Tianwen-1 mission also inaugurates China's planetary exploration, Li said.

After completion, the telescope will greatly improve China's ability to receive deep space exploration data and will lay a foundation for China's future asteroid and comet probing and other planetary exploration missions, Li added.

 

[JSCh]

林晓弈
今天 10:16 来自 航天爱好者网超话
O今天10点20分左右 ，长征五号乙运载火箭已经抵达发射区，计划于下月五号择机发射。它于今天早上七点五十分左右开始转运。航天爱好者网超话
Translation:
Today, around 10:20, the Long March 5B carrier rocket has arrived at the launch pad area and is scheduled to be launched on the 5th of next month. Roll-out started around 7:50 this morning.