11 January 2020
China completed commissioning of the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope on 11 January, putting it into formal operation after a productive three-year trial. The telescope will gradually open to astronomers around the globe, providing them with a powerful tool to uncover the mysteries surrounding the genesis and evolutions of the universe. It was revealed that the construction cost were nearly 1.2-billion-yuan (around 170 million USD).
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FAST telescope in numbers: FAST & advanced - Unveiling the secrets behind the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, in the mountains of China's Guizhou.
MORE - link to video...
08 January 2020
On 2 January, the Chinese ambassador to Mozambique handed over a FY-2 satellite direct data reception station to Vice Minister of Mozambican Ministry of Transport and Communication at the Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) in Maputo. Mozambique is the first African country to apply this system and will obtain 24/7 back-to-back meteorological satellite monitoring service.
Prior to that, CMA has dispatched experts to carry out installation and deployment tasks of the FY-2 Satellite Data Direct Broadcasting Receiving System and SWAP. They have also carried out technical training targeted at the application of FY satellites in weather, environment, and emergency response as well as disaster mitigation.
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06 January 2020
Ethiopia’s newly launched ETRSS-1 has captured its first few test images. The imageries captured near China were published by the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute and primarily test run the imagery capacities of the micro-satellite launched on 20 December 2019. According to the institute, the satellite has been tasked to take more images in the Ethiopian territory which will be announced to the public in the coming days.
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09 January 2020
Staff members of the Haikou Navigation Mark Office install a telemetry and telecontrol unit based on Beidou Navigation Satellite System and Beidou AIS (Automatic Identification System) physical navigation mark in a buoy on the sea patrol ship "Haixun 172" in Qiongzhou Strait, south China, on 8 January 2020. In the past four month, about 112 buoys and 6 beacons in the Qiongzhou Strait have been maintained and updated, which realized the fully coverage of telemetry and telecontrol system on the navigation marks in waters in the strait. The navigation and transportation efficiency are expected to be improved as the Spring Festival travel rush is upcoming.
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06 January 2020
Beginning of January, Chinese President Xi Jinping met the President of the Pacific state of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, in Beijing. After diplomatic relations were discontinued in 2003, China and Kiribati re-established them only last year. Until 2003, China had used the space tracking station on the island state. With the new chapter in the bilateral relationship, new ideas of mutual benefit are in the air - the reopening of the tracking station could be one of those, as Reuter reported.
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04 January 2020
With the success of the CZ-5 launch on 27 December, the way is free for the ambitious Chinese Mars mission and the lunar sample return mission. While the launch window for Mars is limited, the lunar sample return mission will most likely wait until the 4th quarter 2020. This article on Weibo, although in Chinese, has some interesting illustrations and gives some clues about the preparation for the upcoming Chinese Mars 1 mission.
MORE on Weibo account in Chinese (the account owner says it is a military blogger!) - in case of interest in the content: Google translation can help ...
https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404456801054622040#_0
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Technology proven for CLEP can support Mars landing
link to Weibo with text in Chinese (the account owner says it is a military blogger!) - in case of interest in the content, please, use Google translation...
https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404435740732817609