19 May 2021
On 19 May, CNSA released the first 2 images and 2 videos taken by the Mars rover and the orbiter camera on the Martian surface and during the landing process.
The surface image, taken by the front obstacle avoidance camera of the rover, shows the landing platform and the ramp for the Zhurong rover to drive down later on. Another image, taken by a navigation camera, shows the solar panels, the communication antenna and other instruments.
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19 May 2021
Scientists have published the latest scientific outcomes obtained by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (Wukong) which could shed light on the existence of an unknown source of cosmic rays. Scientists have managed to measure the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei using four and half years of data recorded by Wukong, and observed the new structure of the energy spectrum, according to the project team behind the Dark Matter Particle Explorer. The outcomes have been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
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20 May 2021
The launch of the Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft was planned for 20 May, 1:00 h BJT. The Long March-7 Y3 carrier rocket, carrying the Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft, was filled with propellant and was ready for launch. At 01:32 h BJT, Xinhua news agency - referring to CMSA - reported that the launch has been postponed due to technical reasons, and the new launch time will be determined later.
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18 May 2021
The Zhurong rover has sent back data via orbiter, according to the WeChat account of China's lunar exploration programme CLEP.
The orbiter is serving as a data relay station for communications between Zhurong and mission controllers on Earth. The news item confirms that the rover is in a good state and the mission is going according to schedule.
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19 May 2021
On 19 May at 12:03 h BJT, a Long March-4B rocket, carrying the ocean-monitoring satellite Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) satellite, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre into space. The HY-2D will form a constellation with the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system of high frequency and medium and large scale.
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18 May 2021
By the end of 2020, the overall value of satellite-enabled navigation and positioning services in China was 403.3 billion RMB (62.8 billion USD), with a 16.9 % increase year-on-year, according to the 2021 White Paper on the Development of China's Satellite Navigation and Positioning Industries, compiled by the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location-Based Services Association of China. The paper, published on 18 May, states that chips, equipment, software, data and infrastructure businesses saw an 11 % increase compared with 2019.
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