27 March 2018
China will finish upgrading the world's largest single-dish radio telescope in April to help scientists discover more stellar objects that are unique and farther from Earth, according to a project insider. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, known as FAST, was equiped with more precise and efficient signal receivers, said Liu Oufei, Deputy Chief Engineer of the telescope's receiver and terminal systems.
MORE...
25 March 2018
CASC space scientists designed and constructed a weather modification test system to bring substantially more rain to the Tibetan plateau, Asia’s biggest freshwater reserve. The system consists of a network of fuel-burning chambers to produce cloud-seeding silver iodide.The chambers’ daily operation will be guided by highly precise real-time data collected from a network of 30 small weather satellites monitoring monsoon activities over the Indian Ocean. CASC signed an agreement with Tsinghua University and Qinghai province on the project. However, it is not clear whether the government will aprove the project, as intercepting the moisture in the skies over Tibet could have a knock-on effect and reduce rainfall in other Chinese regions.
MORE...
25 March 2018
Shenzhou College under China Academy of Space Technology held a ceremony to welcome its first eight foreign students on 19 March, the first time China has admitted foreign students in the aerospace field. The students come from Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Venezuela and Cambodia. After two years' study and oral defense of their thesis, they will receive a Chinese master's degree in aerospace science.
"China's aerospace industry technology is comprehensive especially its satellites for navigation, communication and meteorology, a field in which China can and would like to help other countries cultivate talent," Jiao Weixin, a space science professor at Peking University, told Global Times.
MORE...
25 March 2018
An exhibition focusing on China's Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) kicked off on 24 March in the northern Swiss city of Basel, highlighting some of the magnificent achievements of China's aerospace industry. As part of the ongoing Baselworld 2018 Show, the exhibition was presented jointly by China's Chang'E Aerospace Technology (Beijing) LLC and TAG Heuer, the avant-garde Swiss watchmaker, strategic partner and official timekeeper of CLEP.
Zuo Wei, Deputy Chief Designer of CLEP Ground Application System confirms launch of the Chang'e 4 relay satellite in May 2018 and the launch of Chang'e 5 mission in 2019.
MORE...
21 March 2018
Scientists at Fraunhofer FHR in Wachtberg near Bonn have already been monitoring Tiangong 1 for a number of weeks with their TIRA (Tracking and Imaging Radar) system, one of the most powerful space observation radars in the world, supporting the German Space Situational Awareness Centre (WRLageZ) and ESA with their re-entry forecasts. ESA's space operation centre ESOC in Darmstadt has commissioned Fraunhofer FHR to determine and investigate the natural rotation of Tiangong 1. This rotation greatly influences the flight characteristics of the space lab and therefore also influences the time of impact. The space experts at FHR were able to create a spectacular animated version of radar images of Tiangong 1, showing clearly the rotation of the module.
MORE...
25 March 2018
Since 2011, Shanghai is the site of a unique national space attraction: on 11 December 2011, the 100th anniversary of the birth of China’s “Father of Missile and Space Programme”, Qian Xuesen, the “Qian Xuesen Library and Museum” opened its doors. Located on the grounds of the ‘old’ campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the modern building with striking architectural features hosts the exhibition “Qian Xuesen - Scientist of the People”. It shows an extensive review of Qian Xuesen’s life through unique documents, hardware exhibits, materials and personal items. The museum is an inviting place for everybody who is interested and offering an educational experience with the library and conference facilities providing an inspirational study place. And: it is free of charge.
For more details, read the latest GoTaikonauts! newsletter, issue no. 20, just published. For subscription details, have a look at the section > Newsletter