04 February 2021
Researchers from Tianjin University have developed a continuum robot that can be used to collect debris from satellites and other space hardware orbiting the Earth. A continuum robot can move by bending through a series of continuous arcs producing motion akin to tentacles or snakes. The Tianjin University robot includes a central backbone made up of a superelastic metal alloy of nickel and titanium, which can revert naturally back to its original shape after being bent or deformed by outside forces. It also has a camera and a grasping claw attached to the head. A short video released by the university shows a precise capture by the robot. (Note: we could not find this video) 
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04 February 2021
A new communication technology experiment satellite was launched on 4 February at 23:36 BJT by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Xichang, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The satellite will be used in communication, radio, television and data transmission, as well as technology tests. This launch marked the 360th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
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04 February 2021
Landspace has completed the final assembly of the methalox TQ-12 engine, the new liquid-propellant rocket's first-stage engine for its ZQ-2 rocket. The engine has entered reliability tests and mass production, with its key technologies having achieved breakthroughs. Landspace's ZQ-2 rocket will be equipped with 4 TQ-12 engines in the 1st stage. ZQ-2 is a liquid oxygen-methane carrier rocket with the largest capacity under research in China.
On 30 January 2021, the TQ-12 methane engine underwent an 400 s test run, accumulating 2,000 s of testing from 5 consecutive long-duration tests.
On 29 January, Landspace reported that the payload fairing separation test of the Zhuque-2 launch vehicle was completed successfully.
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Methane engines to lift private rocket into orbit

05 February 2021
Tianwen 1 conducted its 4th orbital correction on 5 February at 20:00 BJT, CNSA reported. The correction ensured that the probe achieved a sound planned rendezvous with Mars. CNSA also published the first image of Mars, taken from a distance of 2.2 million km. The probe has traveled about 197 days in orbit, flying about 465 million km. It is currently 184 million km from Earth and 1.1 million km from Mars. All probe systems are in good working condition, CNSA said.
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