Tech China Weekly: propulsion technology, space launches, genome project, diving support ship – Xinhua


BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — The following are the highlights of China’s key technology news from the past week:

PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY

Chinese space engineers have tested a micro propulsion technology on a recently launched satellite, which could be used in future space-based gravitational wave detection.

Experts from the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said they tested the variable thrust propulsion at the micronewton level on the Tianqin-1 satellite, which was sent into space on Dec. 20, 2019.

40 SPACE LAUNCHES IN 2020

China’s aerospace industry will see a busy year in 2020, with the number of space launches expected to exceed 40, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The highlights of the space activities include the launch of China’s first Mars probe, the Chang’e-5 lunar probe, which is expected to bring moon samples back to Earth, the final step of China’s current lunar exploration program, as well as the completion of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation.

GENOME PROJECT FOR PROTISTS

Chinese scientists recently launched a program to map the genomes of about 10,000 representative species of protists and establish a large-scale database of protist genetic resources.

The project is expected to help scientists better understand the mechanism of biodiversity, the origin and evolution of multicellular organisms and sexual reproduction, and to push forward the research on environmental protection, nutrition and disease control.

DIVING SUPPORT SHIP

China delivered a new support ship for saturation diving in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Monday, according to its developer.

Developed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited and a ship design company in Shanghai, the ship named Hailong is China’s most advanced supporting ship for saturation diving.

The ship is 124 meters long, 24 meters wide and has a cruising speed of 14.5 knots. It has a deck area of 900 square meters and can hold 120 people. The ship adopts the integrated design of the diving system and the main hull, carrying a world-class saturation diving system.


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