China high-throughput communication satellite enters into service - conducted the world's first two-way high-speed laser communication test
24 January 2018
Shijian-13, China's first high-throughput communication satellite, has been put into service after completing a key laser communication test, China National Space Administration said 23 January. The high-orbit satellite has finished a two-way high-speed laser communication test between the satellite and ground, the first of its kind in the world, the administration said in a statement. Serving users in China, the satellite will connect communication base stations in remote areas and meet the needs of distance education, digital news gathering, and emergency communication, said Li Feng, chief satellite designer at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
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Yang Liwei: recalling China's and his first manned space mission
23 January 2018
Yang Liwei felt everything vibrating violently. Experiencing acceleration of gravity at 8G, he thought his body was about to be torn apart. He couldn't move. He couldn't see. "I thought I'd die in that 26 seconds," China's first taikonaut Yang told Xinhua, revealing details of the country's first manned space mission, Shenzhou 5, in 2003.
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Striving makes dreams come true - Chinese astronauts undergo daily training
23 January 2018
Chinese astronaut candidates have to undergo years of training before they can qualify for potential space flight. The extensive training program includes physical conditioning, buoyancy and G-force training, listening tests, medical training and other skills which are required for space flight. The short video by the Ministry of National Defense shows the training elements.
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China to select astronauts for its space station
22 January 2018
China will begin selection for the next generation of astronauts who will train to work on the country's planned space station, according to 22 January China Daily. Yang Liwei, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency and the first Chinese astronaut in space, was quoted as saying the selection work will begin soon and that Chinese scientists and engineers will be eligible to apply. "We plan to select suitable candidates from space industry companies, research entities and universities and train them into engineers and payload specialists capable of working on the space station," he said during an open day at Beijing's Astronaut Center of China.
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