17 January 2022
This week, Jean Deville and Blaine Curcio discuss how the Chinese Space Station handles space debris and they take a retrospective look at 2021 rounds of funding in China's commercial space sector. More news can be found in their weekly newsletter.
And if you like to support Jean and Blaine, maybe you would like to buy them a coffee? 
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17 January 2022
China launched a CZ-2D carrier rocket on 17 January at 10:35 BJT, kicking off the country's space programme for 2022. The rocket took off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China's Shanxi province and placed the Shiyan 13 experimental satellite in its preset orbit. CASC said the mission marked the beginning of its schedule of space missions in 2022, which is expected to include more than 40 launch activities.
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09 January 2022
China commissioned a pile-driving barge equipped with the Beidou Satellite Navigation System, which will be used in navigation during voyages, accurate positioning during operations, and sending messages where there is no 4G signal. A linkage between the Beidou system and the electrical auxiliary propulsion system also achieves a function similar to autonomous driving in a car. Within a certain range, the ship can adjust its position automatically by setting coordinates, which improves efficiency and saves fuels.
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10 January 2022
In October 2019, researchers at CALT were tasked with designing the country's first homegrown racing bobsled. None of the rocket scientists had ever seen a real sled. They started with only a technical manual and two old models purchased from abroad, which were not allowed to be disassembled. After weeks of study, they found that the rocketry aerodynamics and structural design can be adapted to help the sled's body minimize air resistance. They chose carbon fiber composite, a lightweight material that has been used in the rocket nose cones, as the sled's surface material.
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