Launch of China's Smallest Satellite SuccessfulChina's smallest satellite, launched a week ago, has basically finished its testing mission and is now working well, an official of the Astronautics Research Center of Qinghua University said here today.This means that some universities, research institutes and corporations may set foot in this field before long, ending the monopoly of governmental departments, he noted. The mini-satellite, named "Aerospace Qinghua No.1," was put into space orbit on June 28 at Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome by a Russian carrier rocket. It soon entered its scheduled sun- synchronous orbit 700 km away from the earth. The satellite, weighing about 50 kg and measuring 0.07 cubic meter, took research staff one year and cost some 100 million yuan (about 12 million U.S. dollars) to develop. "Mini-satellites make it possible for universities to participate in aerospace research and development," said Xu Xin, senior engineer with the Center. According to Xu, large and expensive satellites may eventually be replaced by low-cost mini-satellites weighing less than 100 kg. "It is a similar revolution to the one which replaced most mainframe computers with personal computers in the world market," Xu said. The world's smallest satellite only weighs a few hundred grams, and the "Aerospace Qinghua No.1" is the lightest one in China. It is the joint achievement of the China Aerospace Electromechanical Group, Qinghua University and Britain's University of Surrey. Qinghua sent ten research staff members to the University of Surrey for study and cooperation in 1998. The satellite will be involved in the latest scientific experiments in aerospace and communications technologies, and then serve commercial clients. It might later be used for disaster monitoring, navigation, communications and military purposes. |
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