20 January 2021
China successfully launched the new Tiantong 1-03 mobile telecommunication satellite on board a Long March 3B from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on 20 January at at 00:25 a.m. (Beijing Time). The satellite entered the planned orbit successfully.
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the Tiantong 1-03 satellite will establish a mobile network with ground facilities to provide all-weather, all-time, stable and reliable mobile communication services such as voice, short message and data for users in China and its surrounding areas, the Middle East, Africa and other related regions, as well as most sea areas in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
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20 January 2021
The Chang'e 5 orbiter is now flying toward Lagrange Point 1, which is located between the Earth and the sun, for extended scientific operations, said Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the China National Space Administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center and spokesman for the Chang'e 5 mission. "We didn't set this task for the orbiter when we launched Chang'e 5," Pei said in Beijing on 18 January. "But we soon found that thanks to the outstanding performance of our carrier rocket, Chang'e 5 was placed exactly in its preset orbital position so there would be no need for extra correction maneuvers beside the originally planned ones, which meant the orbiter could save a lot of fuel."
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21 January 2021
The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering on 19 January jointly revealed the top 10 news stories of scientific and technological progress in China and in the world in 2020. The top 10 news stories were voted by academicians of the two academies. The annual activity is in its 27th year. Among China's top 10 scientific and technological progress news reports in 2020 were 3 space-related achievements: 1. Chang'e 5; 2. Beidou; 6. milestone for quantum supremacy
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21 January 2021
Space tracking ship Yuanwang 5 completed its mission in the Pacific Ocean to monitor and ensure the launch of the Tiantong 1-03 satellite. As the only maritime monitoring site for the launch, Yuanwang 5 was responsible for the rocket measurement and satellite monitoring. It also conducted the data calculation and space-ground information exchange. The operation of the shipborne measurement and control system remained stable in rough seas, ensuring the smooth execution of key stages of the launch.
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