China launches satellite sub-element III

中国发射子元III号卫星。The Ziyuan III satellite is launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi province on Jan 9, 2012.

中国发射子元III号卫星。The satellite, a high-resolution remote-sensing satellite for civilian use, was launched at 11:17 am aboard a Long March 4B rocket, according to a statement from the center.

The satellite, weighing 2650 kg, entered an orbit of 500 km above the Earth about 12 minutes after it was launched. It has a designed life expectancy of five years.

According to the center, the satellite is tasked with offering services to aid the country's land-resources surveys, natural-disaster prevention, agriculture development, water-resources management, and urban planning.

The rocket also carried a satellite from Luxemburg, according to the launch center.

The orbiter was developed and produced by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The Long March 4B rocket is developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary. Monday's mission marked the 156th flight of China's Long March series of carrier rockets.

The heart of the mainland and Taiwan experts to communicate via satellite

大陆和台湾的心脏专家通过卫星进行交流。 SHANGHAI - Two heart operations performed in Shanghai were telecast live via satellite to Taipei on Saturday morning, as the country's cardiologists gathered for the 2012 Cross-Straits Interventional Cardiology Forum.

The convention was organized by the Cardiovascular Society of Cross-Straits Medicine Exchange Association under the Ministry of Health, the Taiwan Society of Cardiovascular Interventions and the Shanghai No 10 People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University.

The live telecast of the procedures was part of on-going efforts to enhance exchange and interaction among cardiologists from the mainland and Taiwan.

The treatment of cardiovascular disease has developed very well in Taiwan. But there are far more cases on the Chinese mainland in terms of numbers, and some of these are complicated and complex.

"This gives doctors on the Chinese mainland more opportunities to perform complicated medical procedures," said Xu Yawei, professor and director of the Department of Cardiology at the hospital. Xu also led the two operations on Saturday.

"This time, our counterparts in Taiwan can watch the procedures through the satellite telecast and we can share the information and technology."

During the forum from Jan 6 to 8, more than 20 cardiovascular intervention procedures carried out by the field's top experts were observed via satellite by the Taiwanese surgeons gathered for their annual meeting at the Taipei International Convention Center.

Xu said most of the operations were complicated cardiovascular conditions rarely seen in Taiwan.

Through the satellite signals, more than 2,000 medical experts in the field of cardiovascular disease from the Formosan Medical Association watched the operations performed by their counterparts in Shanghai.

As the operations were performed, the experts had the chance to review and discuss the cases, including key difficulties of the procedures.

A new technique, fractional flow reserve (FFR) used for coronary intervention in patients, was also demonstrated on the spot.

This treatment is yet to be carried out in Taiwan.

While live video broadcast has been widely used in medical academic exchange on the Chinese mainland, it is still not often seen between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, said Yu Fei, a medical staff at the convention.

"This is an extremely useful way to develop better cross-Straits cooperation in the field of cardiovascular treatment, and for more academic exchange," Yu said.

China launched a manned lunar landing schedule

中国推出载人登月时间表。Research into rocket for manned lunar landing part of national plan

BEIJING - Preliminary research on a "giant leap" to the moon has been included in the government's plans for the next five years, according to a white paper issued on Thursday.

The white paper, China's Space Activities in 2011, said that research on a heavy-thrust carrier rocket - vital for launching manned spacecraft to the moon - will be carried out in the next five years.

The white paper is the third one issued on space activities by the State Council Information Office. The other two were published in 2000 and 2006.

However, Zhang Wei, spokesman for the China National Space Administration, said that there is no timetable for a manned moon landing.

Experts said that despite China's achievements in manned spaceflight and lunar exploration it needs a different type of technology, especially for the launch, to land a man on the moon.

In the first manned lunar mission in 1969 the United States used a Saturn V launch vehicle, which can send a payload of 120 tons into low Earth orbit, to carry the 50-ton Apollo-11 to the moon, said Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly publication Space International.

"Compared with manned capsules that orbit the Earth, spacecraft built for manned moon landings are much heavier and need to travel over longer distances. Therefore, a powerful launch vehicle is necessary," Pang said.

Currently the largest launcher in China, the Long March-5, is designed to send a maximum payload of 25 tons into near-Earth orbit and a payload of 10 tons into higher geo-stationary orbit. It will be used for transporting large satellites and sections of space stations.

However, it lacks the required thrust for a moon mission.

Enhancing space transport capability is one of China's goals for the next five years, Zhang said.

Scientists are now developing a new series of carriers, including Long March-5 and two other smaller rocket carriers, Long March-6 and 7.

Long March-6 will be a high-speed response launch vehicle. Long March-7 will be capable of carrying a payload of 5.5 tons.

A moon mission is not the only focus, Zhang said.
Work was also being carried out on constructing a framework of Earth observation, communication and navigation satellites. Meanwhile, work was continuing on manned space missions, lunar exploration and navigation systems.

Around 2013, a Chinese lunar probe will land on the moon and release a rover on the surface, the second stage of the three-stage lunar exploration plan.

The third stage, which will see samples brought back from the moon, will also start during the next five years, the paper said.

The country will also look into deep space and carry out planetary exploration and study asteroids, the sun and the solar system.

Zhang said that China's first Mars probe, Yinghuo-1, was still orbiting the Earth, as the Russian Phobos-Grunt spacecraft it hitchhiked on failed to fire two booster engines that would have set it on course for the Red Planet. The probe was launched in Kazakhstan on Nov 8.

"Russian scientists are still trying to rescue the spacecraft, and are keeping us informed," he said.

China is organizing special demonstrations on the feasibility of carrying out independent exploration of the Red Planet, he said without confirming future cooperation on Mars missions with Russia.

As for manned spaceflight, the white paper said two spacecraft will be launched next year to dock with space lab prototype Tiangong-1, which was launched in September.

In the next five years, space labs, manned spacecraft and cargo spacecraft will be launched to prepare for building a space station, it said.

Earlier, space experts said that China will maintain its impressive launch schedule over the next five years

China carried out 19 launches and sent 21 spacecraft into orbit in 2011, ranking second in the world. Russia took first spot with 36 launches and the US came third with 18 launches.

Since 2006, China carried out 67 launches, sending 79 spacecraft into orbit - 74 manmade satellites of various kinds (including four imported satellites), two lunar probes, two spacecraft and a target spacecraft for docking.

Addressing worries about China's increasing space presence, Zhang said that China adheres to a principle of a peaceful space program.

Satellites have benefited the country's economic and social development, he said.

Fengyun weather satellites, for example, have predicted all of the nearly 100 typhoons that made landfall on China since 1998, he said.

In the past five decades, the China National Space Administration signed 66 cooperation pacts with 22 countries.

Chinese Beidou satellite navigation system will offer some free services

中国北斗卫星系统将推出部分免费导航服务。Chinese Beidou satellite navigation system will offer some free services

中国北斗卫星导航系统将推出部分免费服务。Country joins elite club as Beidou goes into operation on trial basis

BEIJING - China started to run its own satellite positioning system, Beidou, on Tuesday as the country climbed the global tech ladder and challenged the monopoly of the West.

Beidou, or Big Dipper, the domestic version of the US Global Positioning System (GPS), started providing navigation, positioning and timing data on a pilot basis to China and the neighboring area for free on Tuesday, Ran Chengqi, director of the China Satellite Navigation Office, said.

The system, with 10 orbiting satellites, covers an area from Australia in the south to Russia in the north. Signals can reach the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east, Ran said.

With six more satellites to be launched next year, the system will cover a wider area and eventually the entire globe by 2020 with a constellation of 35 satellites, he said.

The accuracy of the positioning service will also improve as more satellites orbit.

During the trial run Beidou can offer positioning to within 25 meters but when the system is officially launched next year accuracy will be enhanced to within 10 meters, he said.

With the system operational China is the third member of an elite group, along with the US and Russia, to develop a satellite navigation system.

The US spent 20 years and more than $20 billion on the GPS. Completed in 1994, the system has 24 navigation satellites and is widely used around the world.

Beidou has its own unique features, Ran said.

"It not only tells users where they are and what time it is but also allows users to tell others the information through short messages," Ran said, adding that this feature is being considered by other systems.

Russia's Glonass system achieved a 24-satellite constellation in 1996 but succumbed to funding problems.

The rebuilding of the Glonass system is almost finished and Russian media reported that the system resumed service earlier this month.

The European Union and the European Space Agency are building the Galileo satellite navigation system. Japan and India also intend to build independent regional navigation systems.
"Countries build their own systems because owning an independent satellite navigation system is important to economic development and national security," said Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly publication Space International.

There have long been concerns that the US might take its dominant GPS offline in certain international emergencies.

Ran said that the Beidou system will be "helpful" to national defense.

An "independent and controllable" satellite navigation system can guarantee national economic development as well as scientific and industrial strength, he said.

China started to reduce its reliance on the GPS in 2000, when it sent an experimental pair of positioning satellites into orbit.

But Ran stressed that Beidou is "built for the world", as the compatibility of various systems enhances reliability for users.


"If you only use GPS there will be blind spots. But from demonstrations I saw recently, receivers that are compatible with Beidou will overcome these problems," he said.

He encouraged enterprises at home and abroad to join the research and development of application terminals compatible with Beidou.

The office put a test version of the system's Interface Control Document online on Tuesday, which is a technical document vital for the manufacturing and development of receivers and chips.

The prospects for the country's satellite navigation industry look bright, experts said.

Analysts estimated that around 2020 the industry's output will reach $500 billion globally, including 400 billion yuan ($63 billion) to 500 billion yuan from China.

According to the 2011 Report on Application of Geosaptial Information in China released on Monday, the number of satellite navigation application terminals in China has grown from less than 100,000 in 2000 to more than 10 million in 2009. The number is expected to reach 340 million by 2015.

An insider said a compatible receiver for car use costs 1,600 yuan to 3,000 yuan, higher than a GPS receiver.

"Chips supporting both GPS and Beidou systems have been developed, and terminals have been produced. There are no technical hurdles for the industry," said Han Shaowei, CEO of Beijing-based Unicore Communications Inc, a major navigation chip and core component provider.

Beidou application terminals have been put into use in vehicles, such as government cars in Guangdong province.

Ran said that private terminal makers in Guangdong are testing their receivers on the road, and the products seem stable.

China successfully launched a new remote sensing satellite

中国成功发射新的遥感卫星。Ziyuan I-02C satellite, carried by a Long March 4B rocket flies into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Dec 22, 2011.

中国成功发射新的遥感卫星。TAIYUAN - China successfully launched Ziyuan I-02C Thursday, a high-resolution remote-sensing satellite, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi province.
Launched at 11:26 am aboard a Long March 4B rocket, the satellite reached an orbit of 770 km above Earth about 13 minutes later, according to the launch center.
Developed and produced by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), it is the country's first such orbiter that can acquire high-resolution data through remote-sensing, marking a key technological leap forward.
According to the center, the satellite can conduct land resources surveys, reduce natural disasters, aid agriculture development and manage water resources.
The Long March 4B rocket is developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary. Thursday's mission marked the 155th flight of China's Long March series of carrier rockets.

中国成功发射新的遥感卫星。Ziyuan I-02C satellite, carried by a Long March 4B rocket lifts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Dec 22, 2011.

中国成功发射新的遥感卫星。Ziyuan I-02C satellite, carried by a Long March 4B rocket flies into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Dec 22, 2011.

China plans to implement emission reduction task

中国计划实施减排任务。Heavy fog shrouds buildings in Beijing, Oct 30, 2011.

中国计划实施减排任务。BEIJING - China's environment minister, entrusted by the State Council, or Cabinet, signed agreements on emission reduction targets with provincial-level governments and major state-owned enterprises.
Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian signed the agreements with 31 provincial-level governments, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and eight state-owned enterprises at the National Environmental Protection Conference that kicked off on Tuesday.
The agreements specify mandatory emission reduction targets and pollution control targets for these local governments and enterprises, respectively, within the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), and lists major emission reduction projects that signatories have to fulfill within a designated time frame.
According to the listed projects for 2011-2015, China will build at least 1,184 new sewage treatment plants with a daily capacity of treating 45.7 million tonnes of sewage, and equip thermal power plants with a total generating capacity of 400 million KW with de-sulfurizing facilities.
The central government will conduct annual performance evaluations of provincial governments in emission reduction and pollution control, and hold underachievers accountable, according to previous State Council statements.

Bill Gates co-operation with China new nuclear technology

比尔盖茨将与中国合作新的核技术。Bill Gates is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Fundation.

比尔盖茨将与中国合作新的核技术。BEIJING / WASHINGTON - Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates confirmed on Wednesday that a company he helped found is cooperating on the development of a new type of nuclear reactor in China.
"TerraPower is working on what we call Generation-4 nuclear energy. And the idea is to be very low-cost, very safe and generate very little waste," Gates said at a news conference after he discussed cooperation with Ministry of Science and Technology officials in Beijing on Wednesday.
"It is in an early stage," Gates said.
TerraPower, co-founded by Gates several years ago, is working on the idea of new technologies with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), though Gates said adoption of the technology will not happen quickly.
Under discussion is a traveling-wave reactor, or TWR, a new type of reactor that could reduce the need for the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium.
If successful, TWRs would be smaller, cleaner nuclear reactors that would create less nuclear waste and could be used for years without refueling.
Aware of the long-term risks of storing radioactive waste and of nuclear fuel being diverted to build weapons, scientists since the 1940s have tried to develop methods to recycle the waste by using it as fuel.
TWRs are believed to be a possible solution - but only conceptually - because they have not been built or tested successfully, according to Xu Mi, chief expert of CNNC.
Moreover, Gates said the development of the new reactor design may require investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years, and demonstration plans and construction would cost "billions".
He also promised the new designs would be "totally safe" in all circumstances, "including earthquakes".
Qian Jihui, professor of nuclear and new energy technology at Tsinghua University, said even though there are a lot of discussions about the new reactor, it is not expected to be available soon for commercial use.
"There is not a unified definition for a 4G reactor," Qian said. "In my opinion, it mainly refers to the absolute safety of the reactor, which will never cause any disaster or accidents during operation."
He said China is preparing to build the first demonstration projects of a 4G reactor with a capacity of 200,000 kilowatts.
However, he said it is too early to expect that the 4G reactor can be used in China since the country has not lifted the suspension of new nuclear power projects, a ban imposed after leaks from a Japanese nuclear plant in March.
The Ministry of Science and Technology said it is glad to join hands with Gates.
"When we cooperate with Gates, what we value so much is not Gates' money, but his social influence, his rallying power and his innovation ability," said Zhang Laiwu, vice-minister of science and technology.

China tests new aircraft carrier being

中国航空母舰正在进行新的测试。China's aircraft carrier leaves port on Tuesday for a second round of sea trials.

中国航空母舰正在进行新的测试。BEIJING - China's aircraft carrier left port on Tuesday for a second round of sea trials, which are likely to include test flights from the refitted vessel.
"Carrier-borne aircraft will possibly take off and land on the vessel for the first time, as these moves cannot be done in dockside tests," said Yin Zhuo, a retired navy rear admiral and military expert.
He said an important component of the trial will be to test the steel cables used to catch the aircraft and decelerate them upon landing. The cables can bring an aircraft from going 300 km/h to a full stop in just a short distance.
Catapults may also be tested to see whether they can help propel various types of aircraft into the air.
"Of course, another task is to test communication between the carrier and aircraft, and whether the navigation system will lead the aircraft to their designated locations," Yin added.
Media reports have claimed that the deck-based J-15 fighter will be deployed on the carrier, but this has not been confirmed by the military.
The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that the steam-powered aircraft carrier has completed all refitting and testing work as scheduled after its first sea trial in mid-August, and was heading back out to sea for additional scientific research and experiments.
The carrier was originally meant for the Soviet navy, but the construction on it was halted as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Engineers in the Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China in 1998.
The vessel, an Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier measuring 304.5 meters long, and having a displacement of 58,500 tons, has been refitted for research and training in China.
Shi Yinhong, an expert on international affairs at Renmin University of China, said the announcement of the vessel's second sea trial is mainly aimed at letting the Chinese people know how preparations for the carrier are going.
"The people are very interested in the carrier, and the military is telling them about its new achievements during its lengthy preparation," he said.
China will be the last permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to operate a fully functioning carrier once the vessel is delivered to the navy of the People's Liberation Army.
The United States, Britain, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, India, Brazil and Thailand operate 21 active aircraft carriers.

China will continue to develop nuclear energy safety

中国将继续安全发展核能源。PARIS - China will continue to develop nuclear power, the safety of which can be ensured, a senior energy policymaker said on Thursday.
"No matter what circumstances, it is inevitable to include nuclear power as a significant component of China's effort to resolve energy problems," Zhang Guobao, advisory board chairman of the National Energy Administration (NEA), said at the International Capital Conference.
Zhang's remarks came at a time when uncertainties loom over China's nuclear future. Beijing suspended approvals for new plants and announced a sweeping review of nuclear safety and atomic energy laws and regulations less than a week after Japan's Fukushima disaster in March.
China has 14 existing reactors, while Japan has 54 and the Republic of Korea has 21.
Twenty-seven reactors are under construction in China today, more than 40 percent of the global total, according to data from the World Nuclear Association.
By the end of 2010, China's installed nuclear power capacity had reached 10.82 million kilowatts, with another 30.97 million kilowatts under construction, according to a white paper published this week.
But China still relies heavily on coal, consuming 3.2 billion tons, or 46 percent of the world's total, in 2010.
Zhang, a former head of the NEA, said China cannot rely on coal to further develop its economy and improve people's lives.
He added that the safety of nuclear plants could be ensured, according to existing technology, even if "the Japan earthquake and tsunami happened again".
"China needs to diversify its energy mix, increasing the amount of nuclear (energy) in the variety of options to meet future electricity demand," said Didier Houssin, director of Energy Markets and Security at the International Energy Agency, on the sidelines of the conference.

China's space station program welcomes other countries to participate.

中国的空间站计划欢迎其他国家参与.A box with biological experiment equipment from the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft arrives in Beijing on Friday.

中国的空间站计划欢迎其他国家参与.BEIJING - China's space station plan welcomes outside involvement, a senior space official said on Friday.
Wang Zhaoyao, vice-director of China's manned space engineering office, denied that China's plans to build a space station around 2020 would exclude other nations - the International Space Station is expected to serve until 2020, and the Chinese craft might be the only orbital outpost operating after.
"We emphasize independent development, but never said we want to develop in isolation," he said at a news briefing about the nation's space dockings.
"The development and operation of China's space station are open to foreign colleagues and experts in the field on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefit, transparency and openness," he said.
Already, China has had limited but fruitful space cooperation with Russia, Germany, France and other nations, he added.
He brushed off speculation that China's manned space program has military functions.
None of the eight Shenzhou missions have had direct military applications, he said.
"We all know that space-related technological developments can be used in civilian and military sectors," he said. A communications satellite can be used for TV broadcasting and military communication, for example.
"The difference is what you use it for," he said.
China has been steadily progressing toward its goal of building a 60-ton space station around 2020, which will be much smaller than the 390-ton International Space Station.
Since 1999, China has launched five unmanned and three manned Shenzhou spacecraft.
With the recovery of Shenzhou VIII on Thursday, which docked twice with the unmanned Tiangong-1 space module, he said, China has mastered the three basic technologies of manned space flight: transporting astronauts to space and back, extra-vehicular activity, and spacecraft rendezvous and docking.
But there is much more to learn before building a space station, including techniques of water and oxygen recovery, large-scale solar energy production, thermal control, large-scale assembly and long-term operation, he said.
A space laboratory will be built by 2016 to test these technologies, he said.
Next year, the unmanned Tiangong-1 space module, now in orbit 370 km above Earth, will dock with two more Shenzhou craft, at least one of them manned, to help hone docking skills.
"Whether Shenzhou IX will be manned or not will be decided by the end of this year when the evaluation of Shenzhou VIII is completed," he said.
China's first female astronaut is expected to go into space next year in one of the two vehicles.

China Shenzhou VIII spacecraft returned to Earth

中国神舟八号飞船返回地球.The re-entry module of the spacecraft Shenzhou-8 lands in Siziwang Banner (county) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Nov 17. 

中国神舟八号飞船返回地球.The re-entry module of the spacecraft Shenzhou-8 lands in Siziwang Banner (county) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Nov 17. 

中国神舟八号飞船返回地球.BEIJING - China's unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 landed in north China Thursday evening, after completing the country's first-ever space docking mission.
The re-entry module of the spacecraft parachuted down at a landing site in Siziwang Banner (county) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at around 7:30 p.m., marking the end of the 49-day space docking mission.
Launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on November 1, the Shenzhou-8 first rendezvoused and docked with the space lab module Tiangong-1 two days later.
The two joint vessels orbited Earth for 12 days and conducted another docking after a brief disengagement on November 14.
The Tiangong-1, which blasted off from the Jiuquan launch center on September 29, will remain in orbit to await future docking attempts with the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft in 2012.
At least one of the two docking missions will take astronauts into space, according to Wu Ping, spokeswoman of China's manned space program.
A search and recovery team has been deployed for the return of the spacecraft, according to Zhang Haidong, commander-in-chief of landing operations for China's manned space program.
The craft should be retrieved within two and a half hours of landing. The search and recovery team will use helicopters equipped with receivers designed to detect signals from the craft, Zhang said.
After reaching the craft, the team will conduct a series of inspections and collect data from the vessel. Incubators inside the craft must be handled delicately and sent back to Beijing promptly, as they contain biological experiments jointly conducted by Chinese and German scientists, Zhang said.
Six of China's seven previously launched spacecraft landed in the grasslands of Siziwang banner. The region is well-suited for spacecraft landings, as it is sparsely populated, is relatively flat and has few trees or natural formations that could cause problems during landing procedures.
Shenzhou-8, launched on November 1, rendezvoused and docked with the target orbiter Tiangong-1 on November 3 in an orbit 343 km above Earth, marking China's first space docking a success. It disengaged from and re-docked with Tiangong-1 successfully On November 14.
The successful space docking tryouts provided vital know-how to China for its three-phase development strategy of the manned space program, Chinese technologists said.
China has announced its plan of another two docking missions with Tiangong-1 next year, with at least one manned. The country plans to establish its own space lab around 2016 and a manned space station around 2020.

Shenzhou-8 re-docking with Tiangong-1

神舟8号与天宫1号重新对接.A picture of simulated docking of Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft with the Tiangong-1 from the mission's control center in Beijing. 

神舟8号与天宫1号重新对接.The Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft is seen after it successfully disengaged from the space lab module Tiangong-1 Monday evening in a picture taken from the screen of the mission's control center in Beijing. The picture shown on the screen was taken by a Tiangong-1 camera.

神舟8号与天宫1号重新对接.BEIJING - China successfully completed Monday the country's second space docking that linked the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 again with the prototype space lab Tiangong-1, according to the mission's control center.
About half an hour before the re-docking, Shenzhou-8 had disengaged from Tiangong-1 after a 12-day flight together.
Shenzhou-8, launched on November 1, rendezvoused and docked with the target orbiter Tiangong-1 on November 3 in an orbit 343 km above earth, marking China's first space docking a success. Tiangong-1 has been in orbit since its launch on September 29.
The Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC), which commanded the Shenzhou-8 mission, called the re-docking a success, during which functions of the measuring equipment and docking mechanism were tested in solar light.
Following the re-docking, the coupled spacecraft will fly together for two more days before the scheduled return of Shenzhou-8 to earth, Wu Ping, spokeswoman for the manned space program, said earlier.
The BACC said Monday that after the successful docking tests, the center will further modify the parameters of the orbit for Shenzhou-8 to return based on data collected through close monitoring over the procedures.
Prior to its return, Shenzhou-8 will re-disengage from Tiangong-1 and fly alone for a period of time, instead of immediately returning to earth, Li Jian, deputy chief engineer of BACC, said.
"Acquisition of the space docking technology is vital to China for implementing the three-phase development strategy of its manned space program," spokeswoman Wu said.
Another two docking missions with Tiangong-1 have been planned next year, and at least one will be manned, Wu said.

China's second successful docking

中国第二次成功对接.The image of Shenzhou VIII spacecraft on the electronic screen in the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, on Monday.

中国第二次成功对接.BEIJING - China's two unmanned spacecraft separated and then re-docked smoothly on Monday, following the first successful docking on Nov 3, the Beijing Aerospace Control Center said.
Experts said this second attempt was considered more difficult as it was mostly carried out in sunlight, which could interfere with the optical system's performance.
After orbiting together since Nov 3, the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab module received an order to undock at 7:24 pm and separated from each other in four minutes.
Shenzhou VIII withdrew to a position 140 meters behind Tiangong-1. Then it drew close to Tiangong-1 under the control of the ground station, and the two docked with each other at 8 pm.
"Most of the rendezvous process was done in sunlit areas to test the optical telemetry devices' performance in such areas," the control center said in a release. "With the data gained, our goals have been achieved."
The final docking was still completed in shadow, it said.
In comparison, the first rendezvous and docking practice was entirely carried out in the shadow of the Earth.
"You think you can see objects clearer with sunlight on the Earth. But the spacecraft's telemetry system actually produces more accurate results in darkness without interference from sunlight," said Bai Mingsheng, deputy chief designer of the space lab system.
The two rendezvous and docking attempts in different environments are expected to give China a breakthrough in the rendezvous and docking technology, and also master the technology better, said Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly publication, Space International.
The second exercise is also expected to prove the docking port is up to standard for repeated docking, Pang said.
Ma Yongping, vice-director of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, said that Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong-1 will fly together for two more days.
Then Shenzhou VIII will separate from Tiangong-1 and maneuver into an orbit 200 km above earth before its return on Thursday evening, he said.
The spacecraft is expected to fall in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
At the same time, Tiangong-1 will elevate its orbit to prepare for the next rendezvous and docking mission in 2012 with Shenzhou IX, which could be manned, he said.
The docking system, developed by Shanghai Academy Spaceflight Technology, is compatible with the docking mechanism and structure used on the International Space Station, the Soyuz spaceship and space shuttles, Xinhua News Agency cited Tao Jianzhong, a research fellow with the academy, as saying.
"We've simulated 1,101 dockings and 647 separations on the ground and the first docking precisely fit into our simulation," said Tao, who is an expert on docking simulation.
He said that future international cooperation in space would be convenient in light of the compatibility.
The country's manned space program spokeswoman, Wu Ping, told an earlier news conference that China's spacecraft would conduct two more space docking missions in 2012, at least one of which will be manned.

Discovery of new susceptibility genes with schizophrenia

发现新的精神分裂症易感基因.HEFEI - Scientists have pinpointed a specific gene that increases susceptibility to schizophrenia, researchers at Anhui Medical University said Friday.
Researchers analyzed the genes of around 12,000 individuals with schizophrenia and healthy individuals from two separate cohorts to discover "Tspan-18," a gene located in the eleventh chromosome that increases susceptibility to the mental illness.
The Chinese researchers have also validated another schizophrenia-susceptible gene discovered by their foreign counterparts, which is located in the sixth chromosome.
Schizophrenia is characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. Scientists around the globe are trying to discover the cause of and permanent treatment for the mental disorder through genetic analysis.
The research was jointly conducted by scientists from Anhui Medical University, the First Hospital affiliated with the university, the National Human Genome Center and Peking University.
The scientists' findings were published in an online edition of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

Engine failure constantly in Earth orbit on the Mars probe.

发动机故障不断的出现在地球轨道的火星探测器上.BEIJING - Scientists are working to rekindle the Russia-China joint Mars probe after the spacecraft failed to enter the intended orbit on day one.
Yinghuo-1, China's first interplanetary spacecraft, had hitched a ride with Russia's Phobos-Grunt mission when it blasted off at 4:16 am on Wednesday Beijing time from the launch center in Kazakhstan.
The Russian spacecraft was scheduled to fly in a low orbit around Earth, then after two ignitions of the sustainer engine it was to shoot off on its designated trajectory to the Red Planet.
But Russia's space agency said that the probe had failed to enter the departure trajectory and remained in the support orbit.
Vladimir Popovkin, head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, was quoted as saying that mission control lost contact with the probe because its engine failed to start after separation from the main rocket carrier.
"There was neither first nor second ignition," Popovkin said. "Russia's space control systems and similar systems of the United States searched the spacecraft on the orbit. Its fuel tanks have not been thrown off."
He said the mission's controllers have three days to study the data and retarget the program.
Officials with China's space agency said on Wednesday they are still waiting for updates from the Russian side and declined to comment.
Chinese space experts, however, still believed there is hope.
"It cannot be called a failure yet, because the Russian side is now trying to have the probe's engine started," said Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly publication, Space International.
The main target of the Phobos-Grunt unmanned mission is to bring back the first-ever soil sample from Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons.
The Russian probe is planned to reach Mars in 2012 and leave Yinghuo-1 in a Mars orbit before deploying its lander for Phobos in 2013 and return the soil sample back to the Earth in August 2014.
China aimed to use Yinghuo-1 to analyze the planet's magnetic environment and upper atmosphere, among other scientific goals. It has a two-year lifespan, said the China Great Wall Industry Corp.
Before this setback, the Phobos-Grunt mission had been postponed from October 2009 to this year in order to enhance the reliability of the project.
Pang said that exploration efforts of the Red Planet have a high rate of failure.

China launched the Mars Orbiter

中国发射火星轨道探测器.BEIJING - China's Yinghuo-1 Mars orbiter was successfully launched on Wednesday morning from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Russian-leased launch site in Kazakhstan, Chinese authorities said.
The orbiter was launched by a Zenit-2SB rocket at 4:16 a.m. Wednesday, hitching a ride on Russia's Phobos-Grunt (Phobos-Soil) spacecraft, which is an unmanned probe bound for Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, according to China's State Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND).
The Phobos-Grunt and its Chinese passenger reached their scheduled orbit after the rocket disengaged with the Russian spacecraft, the SASTIND said.
As a small-sized research satellite, the Yinghuo-1 will detach from the the spacecraft and begin to orbit Mars in autumn of next year, when the Phobos-Grunt is scheduled to reach Mars.
The Yinghuo-1 was launched as part of an inter-governmental cooperative space exploration program between China and Russia. The satellite will orbit Mars for one year, collecting data on the planet's magnetic field, ionosphere, landscape and gravitational field, according to the SASTIND.
The 115-kg Chinese probe, which is 75 cm long, 75 cm wide and 60 cm high, was designed for a two-year life. It will not land on Mars nor return to the Earth, expected to stay permanently in the space.
The Yinghuo-1's launch follows last week's successful launch of China's Shenzhou-8, an unmanned spacecraft that docked later in the week with the Tiangong-1, a Chinese space lab module.
Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program, said after the space docking that China would continue to seek out opportunities for international cooperation in space exploration.

China will expand the aerospace industry in 10 years

中国将在10年内扩大航天工业.BEIJING - China's space industry will develop quickly over the next 10 years as the country pushes ahead with its space programs after its first space docking on Thursday.
Lab modules, a space station and 10 to 20 spaceships will be launched into space over the next 10 years, the Shanghai Securities News said Friday, but did not reveal its source.
The country will spend around 300 billion yuan ($47.47 billion) in manufacturing those spacecraft, according to the newspaper.
There are 20 or so space voyages being planned in China, the newspaper reported, citing Wu Ping, spokeswoman of China's manned space program. The spaceflights will shore up demand for spacecraft manufacturing and launch services.
Space infrastructure has been included as one of China's strategic new industries which the government plans to foster over the next five years.
China started its three-stage manned space program in 1992.
In the first stage the country sent the astronaut, Yang Liwei, into space as part of the Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003. It was the first time for China to send a person into space.
Also as part of the initial stage, two astronauts conducted extravehicular activities during the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008.
Now during the second stage China is focusing on space docking.
It achieved its first space docking in wee hours of Thursday when Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 connected in space.
The next significant events will be the launching of Shenzhou-9 and -10, and one of the missions will be manned.
China will complete the second stage after it establishes its own space lab around 2016, Wu said.
In the third stage, China plans to develop and launch multiple space modules, with a goal of assembling a 60-tonne manned space station in 2020.
"The successful docking means China will enter a phase of massive production of spacecraft. The space economy is about to take off,"   according to Dongxing Securities.

Docking space for the future in preparation for manned missions

太空对接是为未来的载人飞行任务的做准备.A screen in the Beijing Aerospace Control Center displays a simulation of the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft docking with Tiangong-1 space module on Thursday.

太空对接是为未来的载人飞行任务的做准备.BEIJING - China successfully accomplished its first space-docking mission on Thursday, marking a milestone for its long-term manned space program.
Nearly two days after it was launched, the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft docked with the Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace", space module at 1:36 am, some 343 kilometers above the Earth, Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program told a news conference in Beijing.
But Wu stressed this is just an "initial" success, as the spacecraft still have to prove they can complete a 12-day flight under Tiangong-1's control and then separate smoothly.
Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the manned space program, however, was over the moon at the success of the first docking procedure.
"This will make it possible for China to carry out space exploration on a larger scale," Zhou said, adding that more than 20 manned space flights are planned from 2012 to 2020 and China now has the basic technology and capacity to construct a space station.
According to the control center, telemetry sensors on the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft took over from ground control at 11:08 pm on Wednesday and guided it to the tail of the Tiangong-1 module, which was launched on Sept 29.
After two hours and 20 minutes, the Shenzhou VIII was within centimeters of Tiangong-1. In the following eight minutes, the docking mechanisms on the vessels completed the procedure of capturing, buffering and locking.
Spokeswoman Wu said the two vessels will try a second docking after separating on Nov 14, in order to find out whether repeated docking might affect the docking mechanism's performance.
The second docking will be carried out in sunlight, unlike the first one, which was done in the shadow of the sun to avoid sunlight interfering with the telemetry devices, she said.
All of the components in the docking mechanism, as well as 600 onboard instruments, were designed and manufactured by Chinese firms, mostly State-owned enterprises, said Wu.
Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of Space International, said the flight control of a docked assembly and undocking are not as simple as they might sound.
"Before docking, Tiangong-1 was orbiting without a burden. Now it carries an 8-ton spacecraft and is controlling the spacecraft's 13 sub-systems such as its attitude, temperature and energy," he said.
The Mir space station, operated from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia, once had problems with its attitude control, and had to continuously adjust the attitude to stay in orbit, he said.
The undocking procedure is also risky, and spacecraft designers have prepared contingency plans, including using explosive devices to blow off the hooks if they fail to unlock, he said.
With Thursday's successful docking, China became the third country to master the technique independently, but Pang warned that mastering the technology is not the same as having mature technology.
China plans to conduct two similar docking exercises in 2012, with at least one expected to carry astronauts, in preparation for the proposed launch of a space lab by 2016 and the building of a space station by 2020.

REPORTER'S LOG  AN BAIJIE
Breathtaking "kiss" in space
The excitement and tension are becoming palpable in the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Wednesday night as the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab module come together to complete their "kiss".
The control center, which is located in Beijing's suburban Changping district, is heavily guarded. When I arrived, my car was stopped in front of the center's gate by a People's Liberation Army (PLA) guard and I was asked to present my permission for admittance. PLA soldiers are deployed along the roads to the command building.
On entering the command building my bag is put through an X-ray scanner and I am given a thorough body check, just like the security procedures at an airport. After the security check I am told to put on a pair of plastic shoe covers.
There are three different color passes for the control center. People with red passes have top priority and at most times they can enter the command hall. My pass is green, which means I must stay at the news center, a room with two televisions broadcasting CCTV live reports and a large LED screen showing a real-time image of the command hall.
Fortunately, I can hear the sound from the command hall through the loudspeakers installed in the news center and I can sense the growing excitement.
On the LED screen showing the command hall, I can see interior and exterior images of the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft.
A traditional Chinese decorative knot is swinging slightly inside the spacecraft, which seems to ease the tension in the command hall to some extent.
Instructions from the loudspeakers become more frequent on Thursday morning just after 1 am, when the Shenzhou VIII deploys its docking device. The operators in the command hall become more concentrated as the countdown draws near, and their voices become more exited as the Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong-1 close to less than 30 meters. Everyone else has their eyes glued to the screen and is holding their breath.
Then everyone starts applauding when the Shenzhou VIII and Tiangong-1 have "physical contact" at about 1.28 am.
At 1:43 am, Chang Wanquan, chief commander of China's manned space program, announces the country's first space dock between the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab module was successful.
In the news center, newspaper reporters are beating frantic tattoos on the keyboards of their laptops, and radio reporters are busy making phone calls in low voices for live broadcast.
"It's just like a couple of lovers walking hand in hand in space," a radio reporter broadcasts.

China's new icebreaker sea, in order to improve polar research.

中国新的破冰船下海，以改善极地研究.State Oceanic Administration and Tianjin municipal government staff on Thursday see icebreaker Xuelong off the Tianjin Port as it began a 157-day expedition to the Antarctic.

中国新的破冰船下海，以改善极地研究.Upgrade of the old vessel, Xuelong, is on the cards: Officials
TIANJIN - As China's new icebreaker readies to set sail in 2014, the country might conduct expeditions to the North Pole every year in the near future, a senior official said.
The new icebreaker will improve China's capability in polar research, joining the older icebreaker, Xuelong, on China's Arctic and Antarctic research vessel, Li Yuansheng, deputy director of the Polar Research Institute of China and leader of the 28th Antarctic research expedition, told China Daily.
Li and his team started China's 28th Antarctic research expedition from Tianjin on Thursday.
Having only one icebreaker has always been a disadvantage in conducting the country's polar expeditions, especially when it comes to exploring the Arctic.
Qu Tanzhou, director of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, confirmed at an earlier news conference that although China has carried out 27 Antarctic expeditions since 1984, there have been only four Arctic expeditions, as Xuelong used to be China's only icebreaker.
The new icebreaker will greatly enhance the scientific research ability in future polar expeditions, especially in the ocean area, Qu added.
China plans to launch five Antarctic research expeditions and three Arctic expeditions from this year until 2015. Compared with Arctic expeditions since 1999, the country's North Pole expedition plan during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) has dramatically increased.
Apparently the coming debut of the icebreaker will play an important role in accelerating China's pace in exploring the North Pole.
The new icebreaker with an estimated investment of 1.25 billion yuan ($2 million) can push through sea ice of more than 1.5-meter depth with 0.2-meter snow covering and its cruising radius reached 20,000 nautical miles, Li said.
After setting sail, the new icebreaker will conduct scientific research in ocean exploration and Xuelong will focus on delivering supplies, scientific research equipment and people to the polar stations, he added.
Qu said the new icebreaker will attract foreign scientists to participate in China's polar scientific research, strengthening China's capabilities in polar research expeditions.
"More icebreakers will be built in the long term," Qu said.

中国新的破冰船下海，以改善极地研究.China's new icebreaker sea, in order to improve polar research.

In 2020, China will build a manned space station

中国将在2020年左右建立载人空间站.BEIJING- China will complete the second step of its three-phase development strategy for its manned space program by establishing its own space lab around 2016, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program said Thursday.
Spokeswoman Wu Ping made the remarks at a press conference here after the country's unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 and the space lab module Tiangong-1 successfully docked with each other at 1:36 am Thursday.
China will establish a manned space station around 2020, Wu said.
China's spacecraft will conduct two more space docking missions in 2012. After that, the nation will begin to build a space lab and space station.
China's unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 and its space lab module Tiangong-1 rendezvoused early Thursday, successfully completing the country's first-ever space docking.
Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 will fly together for about 12 days and then conduct the second space docking at an appropriate time.
Through more than 10 years of efforts, China has made breakthroughs in key technologies and formed a set of design, production and experiment systems for the spacecraft's space docking, Wu said.