China's 2nd heavy rocket transported by sea ahead of launch
01 May 2017
The second Long March 5, China's own heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLLV), has arrived at southern China's Wenchang city, where it will be launched in June. The rocket was transported from its factory in Tianjin to Wenchang by sea in six days, longer than expected as a result of a sudden weather change. The rocket is scheduled to launch in June, sending the Shijian-18 communication satellite into Earth's orbit.
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SCIO press briefing on China's space laboratory mission
28 April 2017
On 28 April, a press conference of the State Council Information Office was conducted. The speakers were: Wang Zhaoyao, Director of China Manned Space Agency; Yang Baohua, Vice President of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation; Zhao Guangheng, Chief Designer of the Space Utilization System; Sun Jun, Deputy Director of Beijing Aerospace Control Center
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Office for Outer Space Affairs and China renew commitment to cooperation in space activities
21 April 2017
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and China have renewed their commitment to cooperation in bringing the benefits of space to all humankind. During an official visit to China by UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, UNOOSA and China are reiterating their shared commitment to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, as well as underlining the significant contributions that space activities can make to sustainable development.
While in China, Ms. Di Pippo observed from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 20 April the launch of "Tianzhou-1", China's first cargo spacecraft, to "Tiangong-2", China's space laboratory.
She will also visit other facilities and institutions in Beijing, including astronaut training facilities, the spacecraft and satellite AIT (Assembly, Integration and Test) facilities, the test and assessment system, the application facilities of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, and the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific, along with six Vienna-based Ambassadors. Ms. Di Pippo will also participate in activities to celebrate the Space Day of China, which takes place on April 24.
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China to conduct several manned space flights around 2020
28 April 2017
China plans to conduct several manned space flights from 2019 to 2022, during which a 60-tonne space station will be assembled and built, said Wang Zhaoyao, Director of China's Manned Space Programme Office, on 28 April. "The space station program has been progressing steadily with its key technologies and plans already completed and its relevant flight products being tested," he said. "Chinese astronauts are preparing for the space station era. They are expected to stay in space for three to six months or even longer during future missions."
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