09 September 2011
From 5 to 8 September 2011, the 4th CSA-IAA Conference on Advanced Space Technology was held in Shanghai, China. It was jointly organized by the China Society of Astronautics (CSA) and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Chen Lan, founder of Go Taikonauts! and also a reporter representing the German space magazine Raumfahrt Concret attended the conference. In keynote speeches and academic papers, Chinese space officials and scientists drew a picture of the Chinese space programme of this decade. Besides the well-known programmes like the Long March 5 launcher, the Space Station, the lunar rover and sample return missions, the new generation communication, Earth observation and navigation satellites, China has also planned its independent Mars orbiter and lander, a probe orbiting the Sun, multiple space telescopes, as well as reusable launch vehicles. Academic papers on conceptual studies of the near-space hypersonic vehicle, the ATR (Air Turbo Rocket/Ramjet) engine, solar sailing using gasbag, the inflatable aerodynamic decelerators, as well as new propulsion systems using water and gelled hypergolic propellant - all highly interesting - are showing China’s advance in new space technology development. More details of the conference will be presented in the Go Taikonauts! electronic magazine soon.