Chinese aerospace firm, iSpace, has reportedly tested their first full-scale reusable rocket in what is a landmark moment for the country’s space programme. The Beijing-based company successfully conducted “hop tests” with its Hyperbola-2Y rocket in the Gobi Desert, paving the way for further experimentation on the firm’s larger Hyperbola-3 rocket systems as soon as 2025,…
Chinese astronomers have told state media that they are working on a prototype version of the Xuntian space telescope to rival the Hubble telescope. The 2.5 gigapixel ultra-violet optical observatory will reportedly have a field of view 300-350 times wider than the NASA-engineered Hubble telescope and will reportedly be operational as soon as 2024. Xuntian,…
China has revealed plans to establish a second satellite “mega constellation” to provide high-speed broadband internet services aimed at competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink network. The constellation, reportedly called ‘G60 Starlink’, will consist of up to 12 000 satellites settled in low earth orbit, according to Chinese state media. When completed, G60 will join the…
A Chinese start-up has successfully inserted an experimental communications satellite into orbit. Developed by Beijing-based firm, GalaxySpace, Lingxi-03 features an ultra-thin, flexible solar wing and is testing key technologies for China’s planned 13 000 satellite constellation in what will be China’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink. The satellite was launched into orbit at the end…
Scientists in China claim to have built a 12-story facility that can replicate the weightlessness experienced in outer space. China has prioritised space exploration in its latest five-year plan and the newly constructed Microgravity Experiment Facility with Electromagnetic Launch (MEFEL) will allow researchers to rack-up much needed time in low-gravity conditions, at a fraction of…
Egypt has announced receiving two Chinese-developed satellites for its newly-created space programme. The country joins a growing list of African and Middle Eastern nations, including Namibia, Zambia and Djibouti, looking to establish a presence in space. The prototypes were delivered to the Egyptian Space Agency’s Satellite Assembly Integration and Test Centre (AIT) in Space City,…
Chinese aerospace chiefs are considering deploying a helicopter in the country’s latest effort to retrieve samples from one of our closest planetary neighbours, Mars. The Tianwen-3 Mars mission is expected to go ahead sometime near 2028. It promises to be the Chinese National Space Agency’s (CNSA) most complex endeavour to date, requiring the launch of…
A Chinese startup has become the country’s first aerospace company to successfully launch a rocket into orbit on its first attempt. Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, conducted its maiden launch in early April from the Jiuquan Spaceport in northwest China. Space Pioneer also became the first Chinese company to use liquid propellant…
China is preparing to launch its new ‘lobster eye’ x-ray telescope later this year. Called the ‘Einstein Probe’, it is hoped the astronomical satellite may provide valuable insight into some of the universe’s most mysterious phenomena, including supernovas and black holes. Speaking at China’s 35th National Symposium on Space Exploration, lead researcher and principal investigator…
Just months after its completion, Chinese officials have announced plans to expand the now-operational Tiangong Space Station. Currently consisting of three modules, Tiangong or ‘Sky Palace’, was completed in November 2022 and is the culmination of more than three decades of research and development by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA). Despite the station’s operational…