Tag: China
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China launches Tianhe module, start of ambitious two-year station construction effort
China launched a Chang Zheng 5B rocket with the Tianhe station core module to low Earth orbit, marking the start of an ambitious two year construction effort of the nation’s new multi-module space station. Liftoff of the historic mission occurred at 23:23 EDT on Wednesday, 28 April — which was 03:23 UTC on Thursday, 29…
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First element of Chinese space station ready for liftoff
The core module of China’s space station undergoes a vacuum test to simulate the conditions it will see in orbit. The core module of China’s space station is packaged inside the nose cone of a heavy-lift Long March 5B rocket for liftoff late Wednesday (U.S. time), the first of 11 launches to deliver astronauts, supplies,…
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China launches Long March 6 with nine satellites
China’s lightweight Long March (Chang Zheng) 6 rocket has successfully launched nine small satellites in a rideshare mission Tuesday. The launch took place at 11:20 China Standard Time (03:20 UTC) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in China’s northern Shanxi province. Tuesday’s launch was a rideshare mission, dubbed 长征快车 – Chang Zheng Kuaiche or “Long…
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China launches experimental Shiyan satellite
A Long March 4B rocket takes off from the Taiyuan space base with a Shiyan 6 satellite. Credit: Xinhua China launched the third in a series of experimental Shiyan 6 satellites April 8 aboard a Long March 4B rocket, beginning a mission to test new space technologies, including a new super-black coating to absorb stray…
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China launches experimental satellite on a Long March 4B
China launched an experimental satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Friday morning using the Long March-4B – Chang Zheng-4B – (Y49) rocket. The launch took place at 23:01 UTC (Thursday) from Launch Complex LC9. Onboard was the third Shiyan-6 satellite that the Chinese press refers to for space environment surveys and experiments on…
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China’s Tianwen 1 mission targets mid-May landing on Mars
China’s Tianwen 1 orbiter took this picture of Mars on March 18 from a distance of approximately 7,100 miles (11,500 kilometers). Credit: CNSA China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft — in orbit around Mars since February — is scheduled to deploy a descent module to attempt the country’s first landing on the Red Planet in mid-May. Officials…
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China launches second Gaofen 12 Earth observation satellite
China launched a new remote sensing satellite on March 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Launch of Gaofen-12 (02) took place at 22:45 UTC from the LC-43/94 launch complex using a Chang Zheng 4C (Y36) rocket. According to official information, the new satellite will primarily be used for land census, urban planning, land rights…
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China launches Gaofen Earth observation satellite
A Long March 4C rocket lifts off with the Gaofen 12-02 Earth observation satellite. Credit: Xinhua An Earth observation satellite China says will assist in land surveys, urban planning, and agriculture monitoring successfully launched Tuesday on a Chinese Long March 4C rocket. The spacecraft is the second Gaofen 12-type Earth-imaging satellite launched by China. Chinese…
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Russia looks to China as new space exploration partner
The moon as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: Roscosmos Russia’s decision to partner with China on a planned lunar research station, and not join the U.S.-led Artemis moon program, was disappointing after more than two decades of cooperation on the International Space Station, says NASA’s top human spaceflight official. Russian and Chinese space…
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China launches spy satellite triplet for third time this year
A Long March 4C rocket lifts off Saturday with three Yaogan 31 military satellites. Credit: Xinhua Three Chinese military satellites launched Saturday aboard a Long March 4C rocket, joining six others China has sent into orbit since the start of the year on ocean surveillance missions. The three Yaogan 31-series satellites took off at 0219…