China Looks to Recover Booster Stages
18 June 2014
Last week, China Space News published a short article on efforts by engineers to recover rocket boosters for later reuse. Based on a Google Translate version of the original article, it sounds like they are pursuing an approach quite different from SpaceX’s propulsive landing system.
Power System of CZ-7 Rocket Core Stage Completed the Second Test Successfully
17 June 2014
On June 16, 2014, the second hot-fire test for the power system of CZ-7 rocket core stage was conducted and it achieved a great success. CZ-7 rocket is China’s new-generation medium-lift launch vehicle with a low-earth orbit capacity of 13.5 tons. It is designed to launch cargo spaceships for construction of the future space station.
Replica of Chinese lunar rover donated to UN Office for Outer Space Affairs
14 June 2014
CNSA donated a 1:1 model of China's lunar rover Yutu to the public exhibition of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs - UNOOSA at Vienna International Center, in Vienna, Austria on 13 June. Lunar probe Chang'e-3 with rover Yutu on board, landed on the Moon's Sinus Iridum in 2013, making China the third country to put a rover on the Moon after the United States and Soviet Union.
China put FY-3C into operation to improve Earth observation
13 June 2014
On June 10, the meteorological satellite Fengyun-3C has been put into operation officially which replaced FY-3A to observe in a morning orbit with FY-2B in an afternoon orbit. The operation of FY-3C will realize all-weather, multispectral, quantitative and 3D observation of global atmosphere and Geophysical factors to insure stable operation of polar-orbit meteorological satellites, provide better observation data for monitoring disasters, environment and addressing climate change, and further improve the monitoring capabilities.