Tag: China
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Chinese space station testbed ends mission with controlled re-entry
A prototype space lab module for China’s planned space station re-entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean Friday to end a nearly three-year mission that included a visit from Chinese astronauts and an in-orbit refueling demonstration. The 34.1-foot-long (10.4-meter) Tiangong 2 module plunged into Earth’s atmosphere at 1306 GMT (9:06 a.m. EDT) Friday…
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China set to deorbit disused Tiangong 2 space lab
This view of the Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 docked complex was captured Oct. 23, 2016, and downlinked to Earth on Tuesday by the Banxing 2 microsatellite. In this photo, Shenzhou 11 is at the top of the image, and Tiangong 2 is at the bottom of the frame. Credit: CCTV China’s Tiangong 2 space…
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The moon in 2069: Top space scientists share their visions for lunar lifestyles
The European Space Agency’s vision for lunar settlement includes habitats shielded by piled-up moon dirt. (ESA / Foster + Partners Illustration) LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Fifty years ago this month, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission transformed the idea of putting people on the moon from science fiction to historical fact. Not much has changed on the moon…
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China adds to Beidou fleet with Long March launch
A Long March 3B rocket lifts off from the Xichang space center with another Beidou navigation satellite. Credit: Xinhua Another satellite for China’s Beidou navigation network rocketed into orbit Monday on top of a Long March 3B launcher. Riding inside the Long March 3B’s nose cone, the new Beidou navigation satellite lifted off at 1809…
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China’s first sea launch declared a success
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated June 6 with orbital elements. A solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket fired out of a container aboard a barge in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday with seven satellites heading into orbit on China’s first space launch from an ocean vessel. The four-stage Long March 11 booster took off from the converted barge…
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Chinese state media confirms Long March launch failure
File photo of a previous Long March 4C launch from the Taiyuan space base. Credit: Xinhua A Chinese Long March 4C rocket failed to place its top secret military payload into orbit Wednesday after a launch from the Taiyuan space base southwest of Beijing, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The three-stage rocket lifted…
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Long March-3C lofts Beidou-2G8 (GEO-8)
A new navigation satellite was successfully launched by China on Friday. The launch of Beidou-2G8 (GEO-8) took place from the LC2 Launch Complex of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, using the Long March-3C/G2 (Y16) launch vehicle. Launch time was 15:48 UTC. Also designated Beidou-45, the satellite is part of the GEO component of…
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Long March 3C rocket launches Beidou satellite toward geostationary orbit
China launched a Beidou navigation satellite Friday using a Long March 3C rocket, adding another node to a growing space-based network that Chinese officials say will broadcast positioning and timing signals around the world next year. The Long March 3C launcher, fitted with a pair of liquid-fueled strap-on boosters, fired away from the Xichang…
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China launches mapping satellites
A Long March 4B rocket lifts off Tuesday from the Taiyuan space center in northeastern China. Credit: Xinhua A Chinese Long March 4B rocket successfully launched two Tianhui satellites Monday to conduct land surveys, mapping and scientific experiments in space, according to reports from state-run media. The satellites lifted off aboard the Long March 4B…
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Beidou-3 navigation satellite launched on Long March 3B
China successfully launched a new navigation satellite on Saturday. The launch – later noted to be Beidou-3I1Q (IGSO-1) – took place from the LC3 Launch Complex of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, using a Long March-3B/G2 (Chang Zheng-3B/G2) launch vehicle. Launch time was 14:41 UTC. Also designated Beidou-44, the satellite is part of…