Development & Use of Outer Space Enter New Stage in China

China has entered a new stage in the development and utilization of outer space and it should pay closer attention to this field, said Du Xiangwan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, at the 2001 academic conference of the China Association for Science and Technology in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province on September 16.

Currently, China has become one of the world's aerospace powers. We should elevate space development to the height of national policy. China does not seek "space hegemony", but instead, it devotes its energy to the peaceful use of outer space, Du added.

According to him, China's retrievable satellite technology, soft landing technology and micro-gravity research have also entered a mature testing stage, the country has launched such research subjects as space breeding and gravity research.

While introducing scientific knowledge in the space physics field, he said China has set up small ground simulation labs, use the method of lacer and other ionic bodies to simulate physical conditions under high temperature and high density and study the physical course in the universe. Meanwhile, Chinese scientists are continuing their study on gathering solar energy from the space.

Currently, the resource and weather data provided by the satellites China developed and launched have become an indispensable part of the international satellite-net database. The weather satellite, with ten-waveband sensor, may accurately collect comprehensive information on the sea, meteorological, and ground situation.

China launched its first man-made satellite "Dongfanghong (East Is Red)" in 1971 and launched first China-developed test spaceship in1999 as well as published the plan for launching manned spaceship.

The increasing population and depleting resource in the earth urge human beings to look for new living space and resources in the outer space, experts said.



By PD Online Staff Huang Ying


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