China
China Satcom’s LEO, HTS projects driven by desire not to fall behind foreign counterparts
China’s state-owned fleet operator is making forward-leaning investments in high-throughput satellites and low-Earth-orbit constellations without worrying, at least initially, about whether these projects are backed by sound business plans.
SN Military.Space | AI race moves to space • China’s heavy rockets a concern for U.S. • Soldiers learn to operate satellites
Using free data from the European Space Agency, a startup in Finland created a geospatial information service that is entirely enabled by artificial intelligence.
Commercial Chinese companies set sights on methalox rockets, first orbital launches
Landspace says it has designed a methane- and liquid-oxygen-powered rocket it aims to test launch in 2020.
Two Chinese launches in 24 hours deliver Pakistan satellites, Beidou backup to orbit
The July 9 launches were China’s 19th and 20th of 2018, with CASC aiming to carry out around 36 launches this year.
China claims progress in new landing technology for crewed spacecraft, Mars landings
China is claiming progress on a number of reentry and landing technologies for human spaceflight and Mars missions, underlining apparently significant plans for deep space exploration.
China reveals details for super-heavy-lift Long March 9 and reusable Long March 8 rockets
The Long March 9 will be a Saturn 5-class super-heavy-lift rocket comparable in capacity to the Space Launch System currently being developed under NASA.
China appears to be preparing to deorbit its Tiangong-2 space lab
China has lowered the orbit of its Tiangong-2 space lab, likely in preparation for deorbiting the orbital facility and thus averting a similar scenario to the uncontrolled re-entry of Tiangong-1 earlier this year.
Trump’s Space Force announcement could propel us to deal with space ‘Pearl Harbor’
Those who loathe or love a Space Force “separate but equal” to the Air Force must think and act decisively and quickly. Regardless of whether the Space Force actually materializes, deliberation alone could finally spring us into action to deal with the looming threat of space Pearl Harbor.
Chang’e-4 relay satellite enters halo orbit around Earth-Moon L2, microsatellite in lunar orbit
The relay satellite which will facilitate China’s Chang’e-4 lunar far side landing mission late in 2018 has entered its intended halo orbit around Earth-Moon Lagrange point 2.
U.S. Senator: Do not underestimate China’s determination to win in space
Sen. David Perdue: China has spent a lot of time and money developing capabilities to attack GPS satellites, jam them or take them off orbit.
Long March 3A rocket launches Fengyun-2H meteorological satellite
Fengyun-2H is the eighth and final of the Fengyun-2 series of spin-stabilized weather satellites for geostationary orbit, development of which began in the 1980s under CASC.
Solar array glitch sidelines transponders on Apstar-6 satellite
APT Satellite turned off several transponders on its 13-year-old Apstar-6 satellite after a malfunctioning solar array caused a drop in power.
Analysis | The rise of China’s private space industry
The space race of old was between governments, but we may be on the brink of a 21st century private space race on an international scale.
Chinese commercial launch sector nears takeoff with suborbital rocket test
It is still early days for this emerging sector, but 2018 will be the year that Chinese commercial launch companies begin to take off.
