China Space News Update
By Andrew Jones
issues
China Space News Update #17: First half of 2022 review
Tianwen-1 surprises, primary mission completeThe year started with a surprise from Mars orbit, as it turns out Tianwen-1 was harbouring yet another imaging trick up its sleeve. It released a small subsatellite which returned some great images of Tianwen-1 abo…
China Space News Update #16: Kuaizhou-1A launch failure, Moon rocket plans, Chang'e-3 is alive and more
1. Kuaizhou-1A launch failure sees loss of satellites for carmaker GeelyAn Expace Kuaizhou-1A solid rocket failed after launch at 02:00 UTC Dec. 15, resulting in the loss of the first pair of navigation enhancement test satellites for Geely's autonomous drivi…
China Space News Update #15: A month of major updates, commercial roundup and more
A large update this time around, catching up with developments after a busy period including attending the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen last month. Major updates are followed by a launch roundup and brief summaries of commercial developments, politics and…
China Space News Update #14: Spacewalk, Linkspace is back, Shijian-21 and more
Shenzhou-13 EVA-1/CCS EVA-3Commander Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping exited the Tianhe core module on Sunday, Nov. 7, 1228 UTC to begin a 6.5-hour extravehicular activity, or spacewalk. In brief: Wang became China's first woman to participate in an EVA.The pair …
China Space News Update #13: National launch record, combined propulsion test, planetary defence and much more
China sets new national launch recordLaunch of a Kuaizhou-1A rocket from Jiuquan on Oct. 27 not only successfully put the Jilin-1 Gaofen-02F commercial Earth observation satellite into orbit but also saw China set a new national record for launches in a calen…
China Space News Update #12: This week: Space debris mitigation satellite, solid rocket engine test, Zhurong and deep space forum
Shijian-21 "space debris mitigation technologies" satelliteChina's 39th launch of the year took place at Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 0127 UTC October 24, with a Long March 3B sending the classified Shijian-21 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbi…
China Space News Update #11: This week: Shenzhou-13 launch, FOBS, new hop test & exploration updates
Shenzhou-13 crew aboard TianheCommander Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu (making his first trip to space) are now aboard the Tianhe space station core module for a six-month-long mission and the second crew for the verification phase for the Chinese S…
China Space News Update #10: Youngest Moon samples, Shenzhou-13 rollout, exploration updates
Updates, context and reports on China’s expanding space activities, with the latest civil, commercial, policy and exploration news. Here's the roundup for . Thanks for reading!
China Space News Update #9: Zhuhai Airshow, a lost satellite, exploration updates and more
The Zhuhai Airshow returned after missing 2020, running from Sept. 28-Oct. 3 in Zhuhai, south China. Typically focused on aviation, there was also an extraordinary range of space exhibitors showcasing the latest missions and plans from state-owned actors like…
China Space News Update - Issue #8
Tianzhou-3 launches, docks with TianheChina launched the fourth mission for its space station project at 0710 UTC Monday, September 20, successfully sending the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft into orbit. The mission paves the way for crewed Shenzhou-13 mission i…
China Space News Update - Issue #7
Shenzhou-12 returns to EarthAstronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned to Earth at 0134 UTC Friday, 92 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes after liftoff from Jiuquan on June 17. A quick rundown:This was the first crewed mission to visit the Tianhe …
China Space News Update - Issue #6
Shenzhou-12 imageryA second release of images taken by the crew has provided some more great shots of Earth. As of Monday, September 13, the crew have been aboard Tianhe for 87 full days and are expected to return to Earth later this week. Typically, informat…
China Space News Update - Issue #5
And we're back. 2021 is proving to be phsan immense year in terms of activity and developments in the Chinese space industry. Here's a quick look back at the action so far, partly to help making sense of things a bit easier down the line.
China Space News Update - Issue #4
Chang'e-5 substanceXi Jinping led high-profile delegation including met representatives of the Chang'e-5 mission in the Great Hall of the People, hailing the success of the mission and emphasized the importance of embarking on the fourth phase of China's luna…
China Space News Update - Issue #3
Spring Festival usually brings a period of quiet, but this year we still saw major interplanetary, human spaceflight and international developments. Thanks for reading and feedback is very much welcome.
China Space News Update - Issue #2
Launch of a Hyperbola-1 solid rocket by private company iSpace ended in failure shortly after launch on Feb. 1. Causes are being investigated, iSpace states.iSpace was planning an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange Science and Technology Innovation Board, is …
China Space News Update - Issue #1
First of all, I'm starting this newsletter to help keep track of what's going in the nebulous and sometimes frenetic arena of China's space sector. There is so much going on, but often interesting developments in policy, a company's activities or a insights i…