21 November 2022
With the ambition to tackle the space-junk problem, Chinese aerospace scientists have managed to use a large "sail" to de-orbit spacecraft at the end of their life. The de-orbiter is a sail-like device made of a thin film, the thickness of which is less than one tenth of the diameter of a hair. Folded, it is approximately the size of an adult's palm, but it can cover an area of 25 square meters when unfolded. When a spacecraft is decommissioned, the sail onboard can be automatically opened. Once deployed, it will increase the effects of air friction, slowing the spacecraft in orbit and speeding up its descent into the Earth's atmosphere, where it will burn up. The latest test was done during the launch of the CZ-2D on 23 June.
MORE...

21 November 2022
With greenhouse gas monitoring becoming a major concern, China has unveiled an ambitious plan for environmental satellite development, vowing to establish a rapid response system as part of a space-ground integrated network by 2035. It comes in response to the urgent need for a remote sensing monitoring system to support the national climate targets of peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, according to the 2021-35 Plan published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment earlier this month.
MORE...

19 November 2022
Huang Weifen, Chief Taikonaut System Designer with the Astronaut Centre of China said the Shenzhou 14 taikonauts, who have undertaken three spacewalks and stayed more than 5 1/2 months in space, have done "very well". "Ever since entering the space station, they showed good mental outlook, good physical and mental quality, and strong operational skills and abilities. Even when encountering new tasks, they can complete them very well," she told CGTN. The crew has also experienced complicated working conditions, including 8 configurations of the space station. The Shenzhou-14 crew also experienced multiple docking and evacuation missions, completed many scientific experiments, and conducted maintenance and management work. "They have a lot of assignments, and they performed all tasks very well," Huang said. "Now, they are in good condition and will welcome the arrival of Shenzhou 15."
MORE...

14 November 2022
In the new episode of the DongFang Hour, Jean Deville is diving into the many proposal for the architecture of the Long March 9, which has been creating confusion for many. Jean clarifies it all and discusses the possibilities of seeing 2 different Long March 9 versions.
MORE...