19 March 2018
China plans to develop micro solid-propellant carrier rockets for commercial use to meet growing needs for launching micro-nano satellites.
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) said that its subsidiary company, China Rocket, was in the process of appraising the plan.
"The micro rockets will be developed with strong ability, high precision, low cost and a short launch preparation cycle," according to a CALT online statement.
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Jeff Foust reports for SpaceNews about a panel discussion at the Satellite 2018 conference in Washington where the implications on the market and the price developments caused by new Chinese launch services were disussed. read: "Smallsat launch providers face pricing pressure from Chinese vehicles"
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17 March 2018
China will launch its first commercial recoverable satellite between 2019 and 2020, Zhang Hongtai President of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has said. Recoverable satellites are an important part of China's space capabilities and are highly reliable. CAST will solicit the needs of potential customers and make customized recoverable satellites for them, according to Zhang. CAST hopes to build an industrial chain to support the service.
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17 March 2018
China launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert of the country's northwest on 17 March at 15:10 h. The satellite is the fourth of its kind and mainly used for exploration of land resources by remote sensing. A Long March-2D rocket carried the satellite into space.CAST will solicit the needs of potential customers and make customized recoverable satellites for them, according to Zhang. CAST hopes to build an industrial chain to support the service.
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14 March 2018
Five years ago, Zhang Xingying first used Chinese polar-orbiting satellites to detect and measure smog, looking for ways to tackle air pollution. Now as China makes progress in clearing its skies, the meteorologist hopes the technology can also be shared to brighten the future for all, both at home and overseas. "Smog may be on the retreat at the moment but remains a problem that cannot be ignored, not only in China but in many other countries," said Zhang, 40, chief scientist of atmosphere composition remote sensing at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). "We share the same environment and the same earth. Helping others is actually helping ourselves. That's what 'a community with shared future' means," Zhang said, who is also chief China scientist for an EU-funded remote sensing research programme.
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