Tag: CNSA
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China Advances Tianwen-3 Mars Sample-Return Mission Toward 2028 Launch
China has moved hardware for its Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission into prototype development, maintaining plans for two Long March 5 launches in late 2028 and the return of approximately 500 grams of Martian material to Earth around 2031. If successful, the mission would complete the first direct return of samples from Mars and could give…
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What Is a Launch Window? Why Can’t Chang’e-7 Just Launch a Few Days Later?
According to official information, the Chang’e-7 mission does not currently meet launch conditions and cannot be carried out within its scheduled launch window this year. Many people have asked: What exactly is a launch window, and why can’t the mission simply be delayed by a few days? In simple terms, a launch window is the…
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China Delays Historic Chang’e-7 Lunar South Pole Mission as Tropical Storm Narra Disrupts Launch Plans
China has postponed the launch of its landmark Chang’e-7 lunar exploration mission after Tropical Storm Narra developed in the Gulf of Tonkin and created unfavorable conditions near the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island. The delay affects one of the most ambitious robotic lunar missions ever attempted and a key element of China’s long-term…
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After the China-Saudi Space Agreement: Satellite Data Is Turning Into Real Savings
On July 13, 2026, China National Space Administration (CNSA) Administrator Shan Zhongde met in Beijing with Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Space Agency. The two sides discussed cooperation across deep space exploration, space debris mitigation, and communications satellites under a bilateral space…
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China’s Tianwen-2 probe reaches target asteroid, starts scientific exploration
China’s Tianwen-2 probe has successfully arrived at a distance of 20 kilometers from the asteroid 2016HO3, enabling it to begin scientific exploration after an approximately 400-day journey of about 1 billion kilometers, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Monday. China launched its first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen-2, on May 29, 2025, aiming to…
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Tianwen-2 Reaches Kamo’oalewa at 20 km After 400-Day Transit
Has China’s Tianwen-2 Reached Asteroid Kamoʻoalewa? Yes — and the first close-up image has already rewritten what planetary scientists thought they knew about it. China’s Tianwen-2 sample return spacecraft arrived at near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3) on July 6, 2026, establishing a 20-kilometer station point after a transit of approximately 1 billion kilometers across…
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Three Launches This Week Signal Quieter Period Before Major Missions
What’s driving this week’s lighter launch schedule? This week’s global launch manifest features just three missions—two SpaceX Falcon 9 flights and one Chinese Chang Zheng 7 mission—marking a notable deceleration from April’s 28 launches across all providers. The reduced cadence reflects seasonal planning patterns and payload delivery schedules rather than any operational constraints, with multiple…
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China Unveils Action Plan to Boost Commercial Space Firms and Overseas Expansion
China’s space agency has released a two-year action plan aimed at accelerating the growth of its commercial space sector and encouraging private companies to expand overseas and participate in international cooperation, according to a policy document issued this week. The plan, released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Tuesday, calls on Chinese commercial…
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Chinese launch cadence picks up as Tianlong-3 prepares for launch
China’s Space Pioneer is preparing for the maiden launch of its Tianlong-3, a vehicle similar in design, size, and payload capacity to the Falcon 9, just over a year since the dramatic static fire of its first stage. This is set to be the first of several commercially developed reusable launchers set to make their…
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China Roundup: Third successful EVA and deep-space ambitions as China’s space economy surges
The Shenzhou-19 crew recently conducted their third spacewalk this month as the China National Space Administration announced it is open to including international scientific payloads aboard a forthcoming Mars mission. Meanwhile, bold plans for planetary exploration have been revealed and a design has emerged for a new space telescope with a familiar design. The commercial…