Category Archives: Space Station

Beijing, Oct 23 (EFE) .- The three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft will work for six months on the construction of the Tiangong space station, but will also carry out experiments in fields such as the fight against cancer or bacteriology in microgravity, the latter with Spanish collaboration.

On October 17, the three crew members of the ship, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, entered the Tiangong station (Heavenly Palace in Mandarin), where they will coexist in the central module Tianhe, 18 meters long, for six months, longer than any Chinese astronaut in space to date.

During their stay, the astronauts will host a maximum of nine science experiments chosen in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN SPACE

The IRMA (Instrument for Recording Microbial Activity) is a project proposed by The Mars Society Peru (TMSP) to The Mars Society Spain (TMSE) with the aim of investigating the morphological differences of pathogenic bacteria when growing in microgravity in space travel to compare them with their growth under the normal gravity of planet Earth, Cayetano Santana, president of TMSE, explains to Efe.

TMSE and TMSP, associations that want to contribute to the permanent establishment of our species outside the Earth, starting with Mars, have been working since the beginning of 2019 on the project, which was selected for the Tiangong among a total of 42 proposals submitted by institutions of 27 countries.

According to Santana, a large number of microorganisms accompany humans into space and, although most are harmless, they could adapt to the space environment and become more dangerous.

This experiment, to which is added the development of equipment that will keep bacteria in an isolated microenvironment and monitor their growth, hopes to contribute to the knowledge about the adaptation of pathogenic microorganisms when growing on solid surfaces that resemble internal and external surfaces. of the human body.

DOES THE FUTURE OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER PASS THROUGH SPACE?

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The Chinese space station, headquarters of experiments with Spanish representation - Market Research Telecast

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station scrambled to take emergency measures after the low-earth orbit station was briefly tilted out of its normal orbit on Friday, last week.

The incident is the latest the increasing number of problems plaguing the aging Russian portion of the space station in the last few years and was caused when a thruster continued to fire for longer than intended.

Prior to the scheduled departure of the Russian actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenkowho shot the first movie in spaceRussian cosmonaut Oleg Novinsky was completing a routine test of the thruster on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft.

The station orbital positioning control was lost at 5.13 a.m. ET, when the thruster firing unexpectedly continued after the end of the test window, NASA said in a blog post.

The craft, which had arrived in April and was docked with the Nauka science module of the ISS, was scheduled to bring the Russian film crew back to Earth.

In a statement, the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS said that the station and the crew are in no danger, as the altitude control was swiftly recovered due to the actions of the ISS Russian Segment Chief Operating Control Group specialists.

Despite the setbacks, the mission to bring back the Russian film crew went ahead as planned and they safely touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan on Sunday.

The Russian segments of the ISS are some of the oldest modules in the International Space Station, with some being more than decades old.

While Fridays incident marked the second time a Russian spacecraft had shifted the ISS out of orbit within two months. In July, thrusters on the Nauka science module began firing on their own, tilting the station by over 45 degrees.

Later, the chief engineer of Energia, a leading Russian space firm warned that the International Space Station could face irreparable failure, due to aging hardware.

Cover Image: Shutterstock

Link:
A Soyuz Craft Tilted The International Space Station Off Orbit, Again - Mashable India

As the Apex Legends Global Series kicked off last weekend, fans eagerly awaited what seemed like a lobby of death. North Americas Pro League day two lobby, composed of Groups A and D, featured some of the games most popular and feared teams: TSM, G2, Cloud 9, and Team Liquid. These were some of North Americas most experienced squads, set up to clash at the start of the new season. They werent alone, though. Teams like reigning ALGS champs 100 Thieves, XSET, and SHEEEEEEEESH promised to make the lobby competitive from top to bottom.

None of those teams ended up in first at the end of the day. Instead, it was a team whose consistency makes them more quietly successful than other, more popular squads.

I dont think people realize how good we are, Joseph Frexs Sanchez, in-game leader for Spacestation Gaming, told Dot Esports in an interview. Were kind of a new team we have the brains. We have the fragging power. We just havent been able to show what were made of yet.

If youve paid attention to almost any battle royales professional scene, youve probably seen the name Frexs. A veteran of H1Z1, PUBG, and even as a Fortnite duo with TSM leader and the consensus Apex CEO Phillip ImperialHal Dosen, Frexs has done more than earn his keep. If theres a battle royale with a professional scene, hes gone pro in it. The same is true for Apex, where hes played for Cloud9, Reciprocity, NRG, and Spacestation, among others. And the word consistent has been attached to most of his teams.

Such consistency might have been enough to net easy placements in the early days of Apex Legends. These days, however, its a little bit more difficult, according to Frexs. Everyone is so much better now compared to how it used to be, he said. Back in the day, everyone played really safe, played super smart. Now, there are teams that play edge [of the circle], and they can just fight everyone.

Of course, this increase in aggression and gun skill is due to more than just more time put into the game. Theres also the tricky topic of input and the mouse and keyboard-or-controller debate. To hear Frexs tell it, its all about the controllers.

There used to be only two controller players, Frexs said when asked about the increase in teams playing edge and trying to take more fights. Now, every team has a controller player. Controller kind of rules fighting, so most controller teams want to fight. It changed the game a lot.

Frexs is uniquely situated to talk about how the different inputs change pro Apex. Throughout his battle royale career, he played on mouse and keyboard. This has also been true in his Apex career, and his free agent squad that Spacestation signed in spring 2021 was even named MnK. After finishing fifth in North Americas ALGS championship, however, he decided to make a full-time switch to playing controller after messing around with the new input and finding it fun to play. Its hard to argue that the change hasnt paid dividends for him.

And while some will spend time arguing about the competitive integrity of aim assist in a game that allows for different inputs like Apex, Frexs is going to take advantage of anything the game allows him to, knowing that he already has successful placements on mouse and keyboard to back him up. I was already pro in Apex on mouse and keyboard, he said. I was already known for being a smart player. I think Im the smartest controller player now. I have a brain and I can kill anyone.

So, we know that experience helps, and we know that aim assist helps. But there has to be something more, right? Some special sauce thats propelled Spacestation to the top so quickly in these last few months?

The secret ingredient, as Frexs tells it, is team chemistry. And the way to build team chemistry is good old-fashioned work. Im a firm believer that if you play the game a lot, youre going to be good, he said. Half the pros dont even play ranked.

Frexs should know a thing or two about the work involved with grinding the game and putting a team together. Following his time with Cloud9 and Reciprocity, he was also a shot-caller for The Yungins and Frexs, a free agent team featuring Aidan Rocker Grodin and Nathan Nafen Nguyen. All three members of that squad would eventually be picked up by NRG. And when NRG moved on from Frexs in favor of former Rogue IGL Chris sweetdreams Sexton, Frexs got right back to work, forming Team MnK.

The ranked grind was especially important for Spacestation this offseason, with the departure of former teammate (and current XSET member) Jay Claraphi Stanley and the addition of Mark Dropped Thees. Alongside Angello Xenial Cardenas, getting the new lineup flowing together quickly was a top priority. The easiest way to do that in the offseason was just logging on and playing ranked together. I think were the only team that does that, plays ranked all the time together, Frexs said.

When you play with the same people, you start to trust your teammates the people who stay together always do better, in my opinion, Frexs said when asked about building this Spacestation team and the fairly frequent practice of Apex teams forming new squads when things go wrong. They play with each other, they know what they do and how their teammates play. People that make changes if its not necessary, if they just want to try something new, or they dont stick it out because they had one bad tourney? I dont think thats good at all I think sticking it out is obviously better, unless there is a free agent thats clearly a better option. Theres loopholes, obviously.

Its hard to argue with that philosophy, looking through Spacestations recent placements. While the team was praised for its consistency even in their days as free agents, that consistency has turned from finals lobbies and top tens to frequent first-place finishes and top threes starting in the summer, when Dropped began playing with Xenial and Frexs. Now, the team looks to build on its week one victory in Pro League and continue to head towards bigger and better things: LAN playoffs, higher finishes, and maybe even a championship of their own. Theyll have to continue to prove that hard work, team chemistry, and a little bit of controller magic are the formula to win in the Pro League in the weeks ahead.

Dont expect Spacestation to whither because they fly under the radar. And dont expect Frexs to apologize foras SCARZ player Dan rpr Ui so eloquently puts ittrading brain cells for aim assist.

Yeah, I did that, Frexs said, a hint of a laugh creeping into his voice. But Im still the smartest.

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Spacestation Gaming's Frexs talks ALGS, input wars, and building a winning team - Dot Esports

Fictional space station

Deep Space Nine (DS9; previously Terok Nor) is a fictional space station, the eponymous primary setting of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which aired from 1993 to 1999. It serves as a base for the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran wormhole and is a hub of trade and travel for the sector's denizens.[1] It is run by a joint crew of Starfleet and Bajoran officers and it is the home port of a number of Starfleet runabouts, as well as the starship USS Defiant.[2]

The station is featured in the opening for all 176 episodes of Deep Space Nine, as well as part one of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Birthright" and the first Star Trek: Voyager episode "Caretaker". Many story arcs introduced on Next Generation are extended by events that occur on the station. The station builds on the legacy of the Cardassian-Federation interactions introduced by that show and the first episode, "Emissary", includes a visit from the Enterprise-D. Deep Space Nine provides the location for the crew to interact with the characters and elements established by the Star Trek universe, and introduces additional elements.

The station exists in a time and place also occupied by The Next Generation and Voyager and the seventh through tenth films, the 2370s in Earth's Galaxy. This is itself part of the bigger Star Trek universe, which was initiated by the original Star Trek TV show of the late 1960s created by Gene Roddenberry.

For the show's conceptual design of Deep Space Nine, it is over a kilometer in diameter, is composed of a broad outer docking ring; an inner habitat ring containing residential apartments; and a central core containing the promenade, the fusion reactors, and the operations center, known as "Ops". Three sets of docking pylons sweep up and down equidistantly around the docking ring, defining an almost spherical shape. It is of identical design to another Cardassian station, Empok Nor.[3] Originally situated in orbit of Bajor, the station was moved in the series' pilot episode to a position at the mouth of the newly discovered wormhole, where it would remain throughout the remainder of the series. This made the station three hours away from Bajor by shuttle, as described in three episodes,[4][5] although it was mentioned as being five hours away in another episode,[6] (presumably as Bajor was in far orbit of its sun relative to DS9's position). However, it would appear that the journey could be completed in a much shorter length of time if necessary by engaging warp drive within the Bajoran star system.[7]

The promenade is the main public thoroughfare in which visitors and residents congregate. Common locations on the promenade depicted or mentioned in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine include Quark's Bar (the crew's most frequently seen off-hours location, which also includes holosuites), the infirmary, the replimat (a self-service replicator eatery), a Bajoran temple, Elim Garak's clothing shop, chief of security Odo's office, a Klingon restaurant, a mineral assay office, a candy kiosk, and, for a brief time during the first season, Keiko O'Brien's classroom.[8] There are normally about 300 permanent residents of the station, though the station can accommodate up to seven thousand.[9]

In the Star Trek universe, Deep Space Nine was originally a Cardassian mining and refinery station named Terok Nor in orbit around Bajor, and it was built by Bajoran slave labor under Cardassian rule in 2346.[10] The station was commanded by Gul Dukat, the last Cardassian prefect of Bajor. It was abandoned toward the end of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor in 2369; the Cardassians stripped items of value on their way out. The station had some major problems, including a trap left by the Bajoran resistance that nearly killed everyone on the station when it was accidentally activated by the new tenants.

In 2369, the Bajorans assumed control of the station. The Bajoran provisional government requested the assistance of the United Federation of Planets, who renamed it Deep Space Nine (DS9) and placed Commander Benjamin Sisko in command. Despite the Federation presence, the station remains subject to Bajoran law. Shortly after Sisko assumed command, his crew discovered the Bajoran wormhole. The station was moved to the mouth of the wormhole to secure Bajor's claim to it, after which the station assumed great commercial, scientific and strategic importance.[1]

After the encounter with the Dominion in 2370, in which the Galaxy-class USS Odyssey was destroyed by just three Dominion vessels and owing to other threats, it became obvious that the station's existing occupation-era weapons would be woefully inadequate defending the station. The station's weapons and defensive systems were later heavily upgraded. The upgrades included the installation of multiple rotary torpedo launchers on the docking pylons and weapons sail towers, stowable phaser banks that retract when not in use and improved shields that extend 300 meters around the station. The total torpedo inventory was increased to 5,000.[11][12]

These upgrades were first used against the Klingons in their offensive against Cardassia in early 2372. At the beginning of the Dominion War in late 2373, the station was temporarily lost to the Dominion.[13] In early 2374, Federation and Klingon forces retook it after the Battle of Bajor.[14]

Aside from a failed Bajoran military coup, the Dominion's occupation, and a brief leave of absence from late 2374 to early 2375, Sisko, promoted to captain in 2371, remained in command of Deep Space Nine. In late 2375, at the end of the Dominion War, Colonel Kira Nerys assumed command.[15]

In the continuing story novels, DS9 was forced to jettison its power core due to the actions of Dominion rebels. As one of his first actions as chief of operations of the station, Nog had Empok Nor towed to the station's location, and used its power core as a replacement. The remainder of Empok Nor was broken down for scrap and spare parts.

Later, DS9 would host Bajor's formal acceptance into the Federation. With the station now under Federation law, Quark almost closed down his bar, but remained open after Rom arranged to have it designated as the Ferengi embassy to Bajor, placing it under the jurisdiction of Ferenginar.[16]

In the year 2383, DS9while under the command of Captain Ro Larenwas destroyed by a series of bombs planted by the Typhon Pact, when an attempt to distract Starfleet from their efforts to discreetly use the wormhole backfires, although the station is evacuated in time so that only a thousand people are lost of those on the station at the time, none of whom are major characters. In honor of the station, and the Bajoran people, Starfleet Command and the Federation Council agreed to build a new station in the Bajoran system and name it Deep Space Nine.[17]

"Terok Nor" is also a space station setting portrayed similarly to Deep Space Nine, except in these episodes it exists in the Mirror Universe, built under the authority of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in orbit of Bajor (because in this episode's universe the wormhole is unknown there). In 2370, the station is the setting for the command post of the Alliance authority throughout the Bajoran sector, under the command of Intendant Kira Nerys. The station also serves as a processing center for uridium ore mined from Bajor; the processing facilities are manned by Terran slaves.[18]

In this fictional parallel universe, in 2372, the Terran Rebellion wrests control of the station away from the Alliance. The Alliance, determined to recapture the station, sends a fleet under Regent Worf to fight the rebels. The rebels are able to build their own Defiant, based on schematics for the Defiant in the primary universe, and they use it to defeat the Alliance fleet. Terok Nor remains a base of operations for the Terran Rebellion for at least the next three years.[19]

The station model was principally designed by Herman Zimmerman and Rick Sternbach. Ricardo Delgado, Joseph Hodges, Nathan Crowley, Jim Martin, Rob Legato, Gary Hutzel, Michael Okuda, and executive producer Rick Berman also contributed to the design. The miniature was fabricated by Tony Meininger.[20] Some production aspects are intended be discussed in the 2017 documentary series about the show, What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek Deep Space Nine which was under production by the year.[21]

At a 2006 auction held by the New York City branch of Christie's of London, the original 6' diameter "hero model" of Deep Space 9 went for US$110,000.[22][23] This was the principal model for filming, and was made primarily of fiber and resin with built in fiber-optic lighting.[23]

Herman Zimmerman compared the design of the station as having Art Deco influences, but also having a geometric design flavour to create a "Cardassian" style.[24] One of the design motiffs was to put things in sets of three, such having three concentric rings for main station structure, and sets of vertical pylons.[24]

The interior sets that depicted the station were on the Paramount lot.[25]

In 2017, Space.com rated the Deep Space Nine fictional space station as the tenth best spacecraft of the Star Trek franchise.[26]

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Deep Space Nine (fictional space station) - Wikipedia

The International Space Station (ISS)took 10 years and more than 30 missions to assemble. It is the result of unprecedented scientific and engineering collaboration among five space agencies representing 15 countries. The space station is approximately the size of a football field: a 460-ton, permanently crewed platform orbiting 250 miles above Earth. It is about four times as large as the Russian space station Mir and five times as large as the U.S. Skylab.

The idea of a space station was once science fiction, existing only in the imagination until it became clear in the 1940s that construction of such a structure might be attainable by our nation. As the Space Age began in the 1950s, designs of space planes and stations dominated popular media. The first rudimentary station was created in 1969 by the linking of two Russian Soyuz vehicles in space, followed by other stations and developments in space technology until construction began on the ISS in 1998, aided by the first reusable spacecraft ever developed: the American shuttles.

Until recently, U.S. research space onboard the ISS had been reserved for mostly government initiatives, but new opportunities for commercial and academic use of the ISS are now available, facilitated by the ISS National Lab.

January 25, 1984

President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union Address directs NASA to build an international space station within the next 10 years.

November 20, 1998

The first segment of the ISS launches: a Russian proton rocket named Zarya ("sunrise").

December 4, 1998

Unity, the first U.S.-built component of the International Space Station launchesthe first Space Shuttle mission dedicated to assembly of the station.

November 2, 2000

Astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev become the first crew to reside onboard the station, staying several months.

February 7, 2001

Destiny, the U.S. Laboratory module, becomes part of the station. Destiny continues to be the primary research laboratory for U.S. payloads.

2005

Congress designates the U.S. portion of the ISS as the nation's newest national laboratory to maximize its use for other U.S. government agencies and for academic and private institutions.

February 7, 2008

The European Space Agencys Columbus Laboratory becomes part of the station.

March 11, 2008

The first Japanese Kibo laboratory module becomes part of the station.

November 2, 2010

The ISS celebrates its 10-year anniversary of continuous human occupation. Since Expedition 1 in the fall of 2000, 202 people had visited the station.

February 14, 2011

NASA issues a cooperative agreement notice for amanagement partner.

July 13, 2011

NASA selects the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to manage the ISS National Lab.

2013

Proteins can be grown as crystals in space with nearly perfect three-dimensional structures useful for the development of new drugs. The ISS National Lab's protein crystal growth (PCG) series of flights began in 2013, allowing researchers to utilize the unique environment of the ISS.

Link:
History and Timeline of the ISS

Early risers in San Diego will have several good opportunities this week to watch the International Space Station fly over ahead roughly 248 miles above Earth.

NASA says the public can see the station for six minutes on Wednesday, starting at 5:39 a.m. The outpost will initially be visible about 10 degrees above the southern horizon. The outpost will resemble a shiny ball bearing.

The station can be seen for two minutes on Thursday, starting at 4:55 a.m. It will appear 14 degrees above the southeastern horizon.

The outpost will be visible for four minutes on Friday, starting at 5:44 a.m. Look for it 39 degrees above the west-southwest.

Megan McArthur, who earned her doctorate in oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, is aboard the space station, finishing up a long stint in orbit. She will return to earth in early to mid-November.

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Early risers in San Diego can see the International Space Station several times this week - pacificsandiego.com

Moscow A Russian film crew was getting reacclimated to life on Earth on Tuesday after a landmark first-ever motion picture shooting session aboard the International Space Station. The crew returned safely to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days on the ISS shooting scenes for the movie.

Actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko landed in Kazakhstan early Sunday morning and were still undergoing rehabilitation in the Star City space training center near Moscow on Tuesday.

Both of them participated in a news conference on Tuesday, and Shipenko revealed that the crew had managed to record about 30 hours of material while in space about 30 minutes of which he said would likely make it into the final cut of the movie, which has the working title "The Challenge."

The plot, which has been kept largely under wraps along with its budget revolves around a surgeon, played by Peresild, who's sent to the ISS to help save a cosmonaut.

The shoot was not without setbacks. As the film crew approached the space station earlier this month, the flight commander was forced to dock their Soyuz spacecraft manually due to a system malfunction. Days later, flight control conducted a test on the spacecraft before its flight back to Earth and the ship's thruster fired unexpectedly, destabilizing the ISS for about half an hour.

The movie will be in production until the end of next year, according to Shipenko, who said he believed it would be a box office hit, destined for international release.

If the project stays on track, the movie will beat a Hollywood production announced last year by NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX, starring Tom Cruise, to the silver screen. If it does, it will be another notable first in space for Russia.

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Russian film crew shot 30 hours of material on their 12-day trip to the space station - CBS News

A photographer in Dubai has captured a remarkable image of the International Space Station above the UAE.

Florian Kriechbaumer took the photo when there was a full Moon and clear skies.

The image shows the floating laboratory in crisp detail, its solar panels and craters on the lunar surface clearly visible.

It was the first space station-Moon transit I attempted after a few months of monitoring its trajectory and the online alert tools from Nasa and others, he told The National.

These occasions happen only a few times a year at best and a lot of things need to come together: something close to a full Moon, good weather conditions and the angle for the ISS relatively close to Earth. And of course, being in the right location at the right time.

The German citizen, who has lived in the Emirates since 2007, snapped the image this year.

The ISS began operations in 2000 when the first crew arrived on board and has been continuously occupied since.

Astronauts carry out research on the station, such as growing vegetables, vaccine development and infectious disease studies in microgravity.

Mr Kriechbaumer, 33, who works for a technology company, started astrophotography as a hobby five years ago.

I dont even use a telescope, just a normal mirrorless camera. I do love photography and its broad range of domains. The niche I really enjoy is combining astrophotography with traditional approaches and compositions, he said.

The last five years I took a deeper interest in astrophotography and the night sky. Its a whole dedicated domain that requires a different approach and knowledge than other parts of photography, often with a lot more planning and patience involved, which makes it quite intriguing.

Mr Kriechbaumer has captured other stunning images of the cosmos, including the Andromeda galaxy and the Jupiter and Saturn conjunction next to the Burj Khalifa.

In general, I just really enjoy planning and executing on photos that include the celestial elements of the universe together with earthly elements, he said.

The world's first space tourist Dennis Tito waves in front of the International Space Station crew on April 30, 2001. Courtesy: RTV

Updated: October 19th 2021, 4:54 AM

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Stunning image of space station over UAE skies captured by photographer - The National

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, China, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 shows three Chinese astronauts, from left, Ye Guangfu, Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping waving after entering the space station core module Tianhe.

On October 16, China launched its most ambitious human space mission yet, the Shenzhou 13, to the Tianhe core module of Chinas permanent space station (Tiangong) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The crew of three astronauts (Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu) will be staying on the Tianhe for six months, the longest stint for Chinese astronauts so far, if accomplished successfully. Earlier missions, including the Shenzhou 12, the first human mission to the Tianhe, were for a period of three months.

The Shenzhou 13 astronauts arrived safely and have settled into the Tianhe, including opening the hatch of the Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft for their supplies.

This mission, decades in the making and launched on schedule as per stated deadlines, has five critical implications for China and its space ambitions.

First, under the direction of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinas aim is to build space logistics and capacity for a permanent presence, first in LEO and then in cislunar space (space between the Earth and the Moon). This operational space domain is highlighted in speeches given by Xi to members of the Peoples Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) and the PLA Astronaut Corp. Accomplishing Chinas longest human space mission in LEO is a step toward building such a permanent presence, something critically important for China as it raises the stakes of its ambition for both the economic and military contributions of space to its grand strategy.

Second, the Shenzhou 13 displayed a logistic chain of space infrastructure that includes the core module, Tianhe, and the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 2 and 3. The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) developed a radial docking technology for the Shenzhou 13s automated rendezvous and fast docking to the bottom of Tianhe, requiring maintenance of continuous altitude and orbit control. CAST explained how the Shenzhou 13 and its radial rendezvous was different from the front and rear dockings used by the Shenzhou 12 mission as well as Tianzhou 2 and 3: For front and rear dockings, there is a 200-meter holding point for the craft, enabling them to maintain a stable attitude [sic] in orbit even when engines are not working. However, radial rendezvous does not have such a midway stopping point, and it requires continuous attitude [sic] and orbit control. The astronauts will install transfer gears linking the two robotic arms for the core module to be utilized for future construction.

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Third, the Shenzhou 13 is a step forward toward building capacities for larger space stations. In continuing the development of its Tiangong space station, the National Natural Science Foundation of China allocated $2.3 million for Chinese scientiststo study the feasibility of in-orbit assembly of a kilometer-wide space stationas part of Chinas 14th Five Year Plan (202125). The thrust of this particular project is to bring down the weight of construction materials to be launched to space, so that more materials can be launched at lower cost. This has strategic implications for Chinas Space Based Solar Power (SBSP) plans, which will require in-orbit assembly of SBSP satellites to collect solar power in space and beam it back to Earth.

Long Lehua, a key designer of Chinas Long March rockets, indicatedin a presentation in July 2021that around 100 Long March 9 heavy lift rockets (which can launch up to 140 metric tons to LEO) would be required to construct a 10,000-ton SBSP infrastructure in GEO. He dwelled on the idea of making the Long March 9 reusable.

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

This aspect of reusability was referred to by Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as he responded to a question about a Financial Times report that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe [in LEO] before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise. Zhao specified that the reusable spacecraft shed its booster, with the main capsule reentering the atmosphere. In September 2020, China had tested a human spacecraft that landed back on Earth, drawing comparisons to the U.S. X 37B.

On the one hand, if the August launch was indeed a test of reusable spacecraft technology as claimed by China, it has consequences for Chinese space goals like building a large permanent structure in space, a research station on the Moon, space solar power satellite infrastructure, a Mars sample return mission, a Mars human landing system, a Mars base, and launch of its large satellite constellation of about 12,992 satellitescalled Hongyan. On the other hand, the plausible scenario of China testing its first nuclear capable hypersonic missile that traversed LEO and can reach any target on Earth has deep-seated consequences for the Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) that bans the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater, and in outer space, as well as the Outer Space Treaty (1967) that bans the location of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in space.

Fourth, the significance of Chinas civil-military fusion space program is evident in choosing PLA Army, Air Force, Astronaut Corp, and now Strategic Support Force senior officers, Major General Senior Zhai Zhigang, Senior Colonel Wang Yaping and Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu as the three Shenzhou 13 astronauts. All three astronauts report to General Li Shangfu, commander-in-chief of Chinas manned space program and former deputy commander of the PLASSF.

Fifth, the fact that China is launching its space missions in line with long-standing deadlines implies that we need to keep future stated deadlines in our strategic mapping of outer space. This strategic map should include Chinas ambitions of an asteroid mission (2022), launching the Change 6 lunar South Pole sample return (2024), building SBSP satellites in LEO (2025) and in geosynchronous orbit by 2030, the heavy lift Long March 9 to be flight tested in 2030, the launch of the Change 7 (aimed at surveying the lunar South Pole in 2030), a Mars sample return mission (2030), the Change 8 (2035), the establishment of a lunar base (2036-2040), and a Mars base (2045).

As per Xis guidelines, China aspires to be a leader in space collaboration, space power projection, space technology demonstration, and deep space exploration and utilization, guided by strict adherence to his guiding thoughts for a new era. Under his leadership, China has embarked on an assertive foreign policy, established a separate military space service, and called for the critical importance of viewing space as part of Chinas overall national security and economic power. The steady meeting of deadlines is gradually building China into a spacepower to be reckoned with in the 21st century.

The rest is here:
China's Shenzhou 13 Mission and Its Long-Term Impact - The Diplomat

The future of space is here. NASA is preparing to return to the Moon and is planning to have missions to Mars. Private space companies are sending ordinary people into Earths orbit.Meanwhile, space telescopes are generating new insights about the universe. All these developments raise interesting questions about the future of space exploration and how to use the knowledge we are gaining to improve life on Earth.

On this episode of the TechTank podcast, host Darrell West is joined by astronaut, artist, and author Nicole Stott to discuss her new book, Back to Earth:What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet And Our Mission to Protect It. Inspired by insights she gained in space, Stott offers essential lessons in problem-solving, survival, and crisis response that Earthbound readers can practice to make change.

A 28-year veteran NASA astronaut, Stott completed two spaceflights and logged 104 days living and working in space as a crew member on both the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle. Now retired from NASA, Stott is a co-founder of theSpace for Art Foundation, where she combines her artwork and spaceflight experience to inspire creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth.

You can listen to the episode and subscribe to theTechTank podcastonApple,Spotify, orAcast.

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TechTank Podcast Episode 30: What life in space teaches astronauts about solving challenges on planet Earth - Brookings Institution