Tag Archives: China

A Chinese rocket launch involving the Chinese rocket body, CZ-6A  from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, has reportedly resulted in a fragmentation that has subsequently created about 700 new debris objects in low earth orbit. The fragmentation followed the launch of CZ-6A on 6 August at ~06:42 UTC and the deployment of its 18 payloads. Several space outfits have independently reported the fragmentation, including LeoLabs, Slingshot Aerospace, and Okapi:Orbits. 

Space Foundation has reported the size of the 2023 global space economy to be $570 billion in 2023, an increase of 7.4% from 2022’s revised sum of $531 billion, a total that represents the continued growth of the industry in the public and private sectors. This growth is consistent with the industry’s five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% and is nearly double the size of the space economy a decade ago.

The Chang'e-6 lunar probe has successfully returned to the Earth with unexplored samples from the lunar south pole, landing in the Inner Mongolia desert on Tuesday, after a 53-day-long mission. China is consequently the first country to return lunar samples from the previously unexplored far or dark side of the moon. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) described the mission as "a complete success" and said the probe is functioning normally.

On Friday, 23rd August 2023, moments after confirming the successful soft landing of the Vikram lander with the words “we are on the Moon,” ISRO Chairman Somnath invited Indian Prime Minister Modi to speak. Unlike September 2019, during the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 lander mission, Modi was not in Bangalore but in South Africa, attending a BRICS meeting. This mission, a product of national political and financial commitment, attracted international acclaim.

The Chang'e-6 moon probe's ascender module has completed its rendezvous and subsequently docked with the orbiter and returner assembly in the lunar orbit. The lunar samples then transferred to the returner module in preparation for its journey back to the Earth. On June 2, the Chang'e-6 lander and ascender assembly, with the support of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, successfully landed in the landing area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon's South Pole.

China is preparing to land its Chang'e vehicle on the dark side of the moon after it launched the vehicle from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center three weeks ago. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the landing is now set for 00:00 UTC on the second of June. The spacecraft aims to collect about two kilograms of lunar samples from the unexplored lunar south pole, including lunar soil and rocks, which it will subsequently try to return to Earth. 

China has launched the Beijing-3C satellite constellation aboard the Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, launching four Beijing-3 optical remote sensing satellites into orbit. This was the 523rd flight mission of the Long March rocket series. The Long March-2D carrier rocket also previously launched Beijing-3A and Beijing-3B satellites into orbit.

This episode features an interview with Takeshi Hakamada, the founder and CEO of ispace, discussing Japan's significant role in lunar exploration, following the news that Japan will be the first country to send non-Americans to the Moon.

Sequel to Russia's veto of the UN Security Council resolution to prohibit the placement of nuclear weapons in space, Russia has defended its veto decision and also called for support of its rival resolution to prohibit the placement of any kind of weapons in outer space for all time.

China has successfully launched four satellites, including Neptune 01, into orbit aboard its Long March 6C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. This mission is the first flight of the Long March 6C launch vehicle, marking the addition of a new member to the Long March rocket family. It improves the model spectrum of China's new generation Long March series of launch vehicles and promotes the accelerated upgrading of China's active launch vehicles.