China space exploration

China postpones launch of Xuntian Space Telescope, alters global space race dynamics

23Nov

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Technology

China postpones launch of Xuntian Space Telescope, alters global space race dynamics

[ad_1] In a surprising move, China has delayed the launch of its highly anticipated Xuntian Space Telescope, reshaping the international competition to explore the mysteries of the cosmos. Originally scheduled for liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China by the end of this year, Xuntian is now set for a mid-2025 launch. The postponement puts it in direct competition with the European Space Agency's Euclid and NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Zhan Hu, project scientist of Xuntian space telescope system, revealed that the delay was necessary for the team to finalize a preflight "engineering qualification model." This model will undergo rigorous performance tests early next year. Despite the setback, China is making significant strides by domestically develo...

Chinese mission with first civilian reaches space station

[ad_1] China sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Tuesday, putting a civilian into orbit for the first time as it pursues plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030.The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space programme in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia. The Shenzhou-16 crew took off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 9:31 am (0131 GMT), AFP journalists saw. They docked at the space station's Tianhe core module on Tuesday afternoon, more than six hours after taking off, state broadcaster CCTV said.The launch was a "complete success" and the "astronauts are in good condition", said Zou Lipeng, director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Cen...

China aims to have astronauts on moon by 2030

[ad_1] The space race to Moon has been getting intense. NASA has already planned a crewed mission to Moon, Artemis 3, for 2023. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) also has its Chandrayaan-3 mission planned for July 12. And now, China has announced its ambitious plans of sending astronauts to the Moon before 2030 and expand the country's orbiting space station as well.“We have a complete near-Earth human space station and human round-trip transportation system," complemented by a process for selecting, training and supporting new astronauts. A schedule of two crewed missions a year is "sufficient for carrying out our objectives,” Deputy Director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency Lin Xiqiang told reporters at the rare briefing by the military-run program. China gears up to sen...