26 May 2020
Renowned Chinese space scientist and planetary physicist Wan Weixing died of illness in Beijing, an official statement said. He was 62. Besides being the lead scientist of China's Mars exploration mission, Wan was an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a member of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society, and a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress.
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27 May 2020
China Satellite Communications Company Limited (ChinaSat) is the leading satellite operator in China, with a fleet of more than 10 satellites in geostationary orbit. The company has for decades broadcast central and provincial government TV channels, as well as some foreign channels, across China and broader APAC on a fleet of Chinese-built satellites. This business model is a well-established one... ChinaSat also conducted an IPO last year, floating around 9% of the company’s share capital on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. This was a big deal in China, with ChinaSat being one of the rare examples of a well-established space company offering shares for public trading. In the ~11 months since, though, we have found that apparently it was a much, much bigger deal than originally expected. How so, you ask? Blaine Curcio of Orbital Gateway Consulting is providing the answer in a blog post on westeastspace.com.
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27 May 2020
Members of a Chinese surveying team reached the summit of Mt. Qomolangma in the morning of 27 May 2020 via the northern Tibetan route, a crucial step in the country's mission to remeasure the height of the world's highest peak. After reaching the summit, the expedition team erected a survey marker and installed a GNSS antenna.
The surveyors used a global navigation satellite system receiver, a gravimeter, snow-depth radar and a meteorological measuring instrument to determine the height of Qomolangma. Innovations applied in the latest survey include the application of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System, domestic surveying equipment, the airborne gravimeter and 3D interactive virtual reality. It will probably take two to three months for scientists to calculate and release the exact height of Mount Qomolangma.
According to the Joint Statement Between the China and Nepal published on 13 October 2019, both countries will jointly announce the height and conduct scientific researches. The Nepali government's efforts to measure the height of Mt. Qomolangma come amid speculations from some scientists that the world's tallest mountain has shrunk after the devastating earthquake in 2015 in Nepal.
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Chinese team completes measurement work on Mount Qomolangma using homegrown technology


28 May 2020
CALT's engineers are preparing for the debut mission of the Long March 8. The Long March 8 will improve China's launch capability for sun-synchronous orbit and will also boost the nation's commercial space industry, said Bao Weimin, Director of Science and Technology at CASC and an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The rocket will mainly satisfy commercial launch needs in domestic and international markets, he said, predicting that it will likely conduct 10 to 20 launches annually after it goes into service.
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