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)
MORE...
02 February 2021
Shanghai will be hosting the 1st Shanghai International Commercial Aerospace Exhibition from 15 to 19 September 2021 at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. The exhibition will feature an aeroengine forum, a superalloy industry summit, a commercial aircraft conference, a commercial aerospace financial and technological symposium and a business-matching workshop for small aerospace enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta. Educational activities will be arranged for the public to promote aviation and space knowledge. The exhibition will replace the Beijing Airshow, will alternate with the Zhuhai Airshow and will be in direct competition with the Paris Air Show in LeBourget.
MORE...
03 February 2021
Sergey Savelyev, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation at Roscosmos, told TASS that he is in talks with his Chinese colleagues to determine scientific tasks for a lunar base and to discuss technical aspects of the project’s implementation: "At present, work is under way to determine possible scientific tasks of mutual interest in the Moon research. Besides, possible technical implementation of the project is being analyzed," he said.
MORE...
02 February 2021
At around 16:00 on 1 February 2021, BJT, i-Space’s Hyperbola-1 (Shian Quxian-1) rocket failed in its 2nd launch in an attempt to orbit the small Fangzhou-2 (Ark-2) satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. i-Space stated that the company will immediately investigate and review the cause of the failure to reset the launch mission. It was the first failure of the world’s aerospace industry in 2021, and the third failure of Chinese private aerospace companies in recent years.
Questions Remains For Private Aerospace Startups. Commercial aerospace has never been a pursuit of pure technology advancement. It has an emphasis of cost justifiable performance and the pursuit of becoming a profitable business. There are still many questions remain for China’s growing private aerospace startups.
MORE...
03 February 2021
Private satellite firm Beijing Commsat Technology Development Co announced on Wednesday that it has received financing from the China Internet Investment Fund (CIIF). Experts said the move shows the government is paying more attention to the private sat-ellite internet sector. This is the first time that the CIIF has been involved with a private space business, and it is also the seventh round of financing completed by Commsat.
MORE...
03 February 2021
Blaine Curcio of Orbital Gateway Consulting and Jean Deville of The China Aerospace Blog are reporting for SpaceWatch.Global on China's main aerospace events of the last week. This time the two experts are giving details about Geely’s satellite constellation, the new carbon fibre technology for fuel tanks, the reshuffling of space experts into the party apparatus, and about HNA Group.
MORE...