China's Space Program News Thread

[Xizor]

Looks like it’s happening.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1413304742885748736

I'm just surprised at this project - the whole idea, that China has decided to push for it, that it is even looked into seriously. There are military applications for it - supplying Chinese army / interests with on demand power.

I'd have preferred more Space Telescopes( Visible, X ray, Infrared), Deep Space missions to other planets and Satellites beyond the asteroid belt and even Probes to farthest reaches of Kuiper belt like Pluto or the "9th planet".

The Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn need to be probed with intensity. Much of the world and all of the scientific community within and outside China, looks at China as the new Space Power who has the ability and will to pursue these lofty projects.

China must consider spending more on space.

 

[voyager1]

I'm just surprised at this project - the whole idea, that China has decided to push for it, that it is even looked into seriously. There are military applications for it - supplying Chinese army / interests with on demand power.

Ultimately the space agency is competing with other government agencies for more resources.
If these projects from the space agency can benefit other sectors as well then that automatically translates to more support for having their budget increased and their projects approved.

For example, in this case, the space solar station can draw support from various sectors. Space manufacturing, Solar advances, material science, military (medium-to-long term), civilian, maybe acting as a space charging station, or even beaming power down to earth etc.

So this project can draw big support from the private sector and government agencies, thus increasing its chances of getting approved.

I know that the scientists would like to do science-only missions, but sometimes they need to compromise on some things in order to generate support from the country (private enterprises, people, government agencies, military etc)

 

[Temstar]

Would SSPS be considered dual-use technology? Surely if you could focus a gigawatt of microwave power into a small area the size of a receiver dish you could also focus that energy to other places for battlefield use?

Perhaps just the thought of it would scare the US enough to force them into a space race in this aspect?

 

[anzha]

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[by78]

Newest high-resolution images from Mars.

 

[xyqq]

New release of Zhurong captures (09/07)

View attachment 74482View attachment 74483View attachment 74484View attachment 74485View attachment 74486

A possible route of the rover based on the pictures:

 

[by78]

Mars Rover's movement so far.

 

[by78]

Chinese space station spotted by an amateur astronomer.

 

[Temstar]

Someone went over to CAST to interview the CSS robotic arm folks and asked them the question we've all been thinking:

Interviewer: so can we attach a scissor module to the arm?
Technician: that's a very imaginative proposal, this is from that video people have been posting online isn't it?
Technician: hmm yes actually, perhaps we could explore that in the future

Here's the whole video:

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[taxiya]

CSS robotic arm crawling video

at 0:04 panoramic camera b, the "hand" on the right is moving towards the target, the "hand" on the left is attached to CSS.

at 0:39 panoramic camera b, the "hand" on the right is attached, while the left "hand" detached.