23 April 2021
The combination of the core module of China's space station, Tianhe, and the Long March-5B Y2 rocket has been transported to the launch pad processing facility of the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in south China's Hainan Province on 23 April. The combination will then undergo various pre-launch function tests and joint tests. The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition and preparations have been carried out as scheduled, CMSA said.
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24 April 2021
During the opening ceremony of the 2021 China Space Conference in Nanjing, in Jiangsu Province, China's first Mars rover was named "Zhurong" after the ancient god of fire. The Tianwen 1 lander is expected to touch down on Mars in May or June, and after several days of preparations, it will deploy the rover on the soil. The naming follows the tradition to name Chinese space projects after features from Chinese traditional culture. Nanjing is hosting the this years National Space Day main events.
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24 April 2021
During a sideline event of the 58th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, CNSA and Roscosmos hold a conference for the international Moon research base project in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province on 23 April 2021. Both space authorities have invited all interested countries, international organisations and partners to cooperate in a lunar base project. CNSA Deputy Director Wu Yanhua said China and Russia are committed to cooperate with other international partners. The lunar research station will be another important contribution by China and Russia to promote the long-term and sustainable development of the United Nations (UN) outer space activities. CNSA and Roscosmos will later issue a "Roadmap for the Implementation of the International Lunar Research Station" and clarify the accession procedures of other interested countries or international organisations.
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statement by Roscosmos
statement by CNSA

24 April 2021
During the China Space Conference on the occasion of the China Space Day 2021 in Nanjing, Ye Peijian, Academic of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, reiterated the plans for China's combined asteroid-comet mission. The mission is to send a probe around NEO asteroid 2016HO3 and then land on it to collect samples. The probe will then fly back to Earth's proximity and release the sample return capsule. After that, the craft will continue the mission with swing-by manoeuvres at Earth and Mars. It will finally arrive at the asteroid belt and orbit comet 311P. The whole process will take about 10 years.
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