Chinese Space News (January - Febraury 2000)

• [Febraury 28, 2000] Again Rumor of China's Mir Purchase
  The Chinese government may pay several billion dollars to buy the Mir orbital space station, the Spanish news agency EFE was reported as saying Thursday in a report carried by the Russian news agency Itar-Tass. The report quotes Chinese diplomatic sources as saying that purchasing the Mir space station would enable it to gain time and accumulate means to realize its zeal to become a space power. Despite rumours that the Chinese government is studying the possibility of buying the Mir complex, Itar-Tass said that the Chinese embassy in Moscow did not know anything about the intentions of the Chinese leadership to buy the Russian space station. (SpaceDaily)

• [Febraury 28, 2000] Chinese Scientist Joins Shuttle Mapping Program
  A Chinese scientist has joined the US space shuttle Endeavor's program to create the first radar-based, three-dimensional image of the earth's surface from space, state media said Wednesday. Guo Huadong was chosen to join 42 other scientists with the shuttle radar topographic mapping program and is the only representative on the team from China, China's official Xinhua news agency said. Guo's proposed program dealt with the application for the topographical mapping of China and monitoring changes in the earth's surface, Xinhua said. The shuttle's 11-day flight began on February 11. The mapping covers 100 percent of China's territory, Xinhua added. (Agence France Presse)

• [Febraury 25, 2000] Man-Rated Launch Site Details Released
  China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) recently released details of the new CZ-2F launch site in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center(JSLS). The new site is called South Launch Center and is used for launching the two-stage CZ-2E, CZ-2E/ETS, as well as CZ-2EA and CZ-2F. Last year China launched its first unmanned spaceship "Shenzhou" from the new site. CALT also released the site layout graphics that shows the launch tower, the VAB, and other facilities. (Graphics modified from CALT pictiures)

• [Febraury 23, 2000] Zhongxing-22 Stationed
  The Zhongxing-22 (ChinaSat-22) communication satellite, launched on January 26, has maneuvered to its geostationary slot at 98 degree East Longitude on February 6, under the control of the Xi'an Satellite Control Center in northwest China.. The satellite will be put into service after a period of in-orbit test and trial use. (CNS, Feb 6)

• [Febraury 23, 2000] Ziyuan-1 Working Well
  China's Earth Resources Satellite, known as ZY-1, which was put into orbit on October 14 last year has completed all its tests and is working normally. The satellite, weighing 1,540 kilograms, was sent into orbit with a Chinese Long March 4B rocket at the Taiyuan Launch Center. According to Chief designer Chen Yiyuan, the satellite, a joint production of China and Brazil, was made to gather information on the environment, agriculture and urban planning through remote sensing images and data transmitted to China, Brazil and other countries. It will be in space for two years. The satellite revolves around the Earth 14 times a day and covers the entire surface of the earth in 26 days. So far, it has circled the earth more than 1,600 times and has taken more than 20,000 high quality images. (Xinhua, SpaceChina, Feb 1)

• [Febraury 23, 2000] School Girl's Questions to be Answered in Space
  "2000 China Space Star" programme winner Li Taotao, is a The 11-year-old fifth grader from Beijing Jingshan School. The programme, a shuttle student experiment planned on STS-107, backed by Spacehab Inc. and NASA, aims to popularize space science and technology in Chinese primary and middle schools. Li's proposal, "Silkworm Spins Cocoon in Space", was chosen from nearly 1,000 projects submitted by Chinese students. The experiment is to check how silkworms spin in space and how silk qulaity is affected by zero gravity. In early spring Jingshan School students will decide on principles and materials for the experiment and do a ground simulation by the end of summer. Spacehab will help with this test. When the shuttle launches, China Time Network Co Ltd will broadcast the blast-off and, later, details of the silk experiment on www.kids-in-space.com.cn. Using this site, the students can compare their ground experiment with the one in the shuttle. (China Daily, CNS, Jan 27)

• [Febraury 23, 2000] Long March Launches Satellite
  China blasted a telecommunications satellite into space early January 26, marking the first such launch this year. A powerful Long March 3-A rocket sent the 2,300-kilogram Zhongxing-22 satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, at 45 minutes after midnight. Thirty minutes after its launch, the satellite entered its predetermined orbit of 210-41,974 kilometres from earth. The satellite, an operational model derived from DFH-3, was manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. It will be used mainly for ground-based telecommunications. The China Telecommunications and Broadcasting Satellite Corp will manage it. An official with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp said China will launch more satellites this year than in 1999. (Xinhua, Jan 26) [Go Taikonauts! comment: Zhongxing-22, or ChinaSat-22 is very likely the Fenghuo-1 satellite]

• [Febraury 23, 2000] Shanghai to Launch Two Satellites This Year
  Development and launching of "two rockets and two satellites" have become Shanghai Space Bureau's major task for this year. According to a relevant person of the bureau, the task includes: Using the Long March 3 to launch the Fengyun 2 geostationary meteorological satellite; using the Long March 4B carrier rocket to launch a new-generation retrievable remote sensing satellite; ensuring the normal operation of the Fengyun 2 meteorological satellite in the orbit and the development of the Fengyun 3 sun-synchronous meteorological satellite. (Chinese News Agency, Jan 24 )

• [January 14, 2000] Asian Research Satellite to be Launched by Mid-2000
  The first multilateral research satellite built by Iran in collaboration with Pakistan and four other Asian countries(China, Korea, Indonesia and Mongolia) will lift into orbit from China by mid-2000, official Iranian news agency IRNA reported. The manufacturing and launching of the satellite is estimated to cost around $40 million, the agency said. The satellite will be launched from China and will be set in orbit at 800 km from the earth. (Times of India)

• [January 6, 2000] Tsinghua-1 License Approved
  The Tsinghua-1 micro-satellite license was approved by Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) on December 28. This is the first time China issue license to a satellite. Under this new policy, organizations outside the current Chinese space industry system and military should apply license to develop and launch satellites. Tsinghua-1 is under development by Tsinghua University and Surrey Unviversity of UK. (Costind)

• [January 4, 2000] Yuan Wang 3 Returns
  The Chinese space tracking ship "Yuanwang 3" has returned to the Jiangnan Port of Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu Province after successfully completing its mission with China's first experimental spacecraft "Shenzhou." The other three ships, Yuanwang 1, 2 and 4, returned from their missions earlier. During their 259-day voyage, the four ships traveled some 62, 000 nautical miles and experienced some heavy seas while tracking and communicating with the "Shenzhou" for a total of 150 minutes. (People's Daily) --- note the December 12 news (all 4 ships return) on this site is not precise.

• [January 4, 2000] Jiuquan Satellite Images Declassified
  More than 40 satellite images of China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center , taken in April 1972 by U.S. spy satellite Corona, were declassified and released by the wesite of The Federation of American Scientists(FAS). These pictures show that two launch pads, one for CZ-1 and another for CZ-2/FB-1, ground facilities and the airport had already been completed in early 1972. (picture annotated by Sven Grahn)

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