06 July 2018
As announced at China's Space Day in April, the first national call for experiments on the CSS is open for submission. From 1 July to 31 August, applications can be filed through the log-in webportal: http://39.97.240.213/login
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MORE information on the conditions (in Chinese):
http://www.cmse.gov.cn/art/2019/4/23/art_810_33072.html
06 July 2019
A portrait of Sun Zezhou, Chief Designer of China's Chang'e 4 lunar probe and Li Fei, key member of the Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4 team, gives a glimpse of the challenges the lunar exploration team encountered. Chinese engineers began plans for the Chang'e 1 lunar probe in the 1990s, when Sun joined the team. China only had a monitoring system for near-Earth satellites, and communication with the moon at a distance of 380,000 km was still a big challenge. "When I first heard the old experts discussing lunar exploration in 1996, I felt the Moon was very distant," recalled Sun, who majored in monitoring and communication.
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05 July 2019
Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in cryogenic rocket engine technology that can extend the orbital period of rockets from a few hours to 30 days, providing support for China's future deep space exploration. Scientists from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology have developed two insulating materials that can reduce propellant evaporation loss and keep rockets in flight for longer than before.
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04 July 2019
Longjiang 2, the microsatellite developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology and which is now orbiting the Moon, took photos of Earth during the solar eclipse in the early hours of 03 July (Beijing time). The microsatellite was sent into space on 21 May 2018 together with the relay satellite Queqiao, Chang'e 4 lunar probe's relay satellite and entered lunar orbit four days later. The research team from the Harbin Institute of Technology cooperated with amateur radio operators in Spain and Germany in taking and receiving the photos. Four pictures taken by the microsatellite during the solar eclipse have been sent back to Earth on 03 July.
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for the photo taken by Longjiang 2 - see here: https://ourplnt.com/solar-eclipse-seen-moon/
or here:
https://www.cnet.com/news/see-the-2019-solar-eclipse-from-earth-orbit-and-even-the-moon/
02 July 2019
GeekWire aerospace and science editor Alan Boyle attended the World Conference of Science Journalists on 2 July in Lausanne, Switzerland. Considering the imminent anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing 50 years ago, the panel discussions of leading space experts cantered around how the future of lunar exploration and utilisation will look like. The panellists included Chinese space scientist Wu Ji who came up with some interesting views.
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04 July 2019
Chen Luojing, a designer with the China Academy of Space Technology, was surprised at the public's enthusiasm for the country's space programs. In a display during the 19th China National Science and Technology Week in May, an event to popularize science, throngs of visitors came to watch the model of lunar rover Yutu 2, which was developed by Chen's academy. "They were very interested in how Yutu 2 works on the far side of the moon. One visitor even asked me how the Queqiao relay satellite sets the communication link between Earth and the probe," Chen recalled.
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