China Launches SJ-10 Retrievable Space Science Probe

China put into space a retrievable scientific research satellite in the early hours of Wednesday in the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in northwestern China’s gobi dessert, in a fresh bid to aid scientists back on Earth in studying microgravity and space life science.

While in space, the bullet-shaped probe will house 19 experiments involving microgravity fluid physics, microgravity combustion, space material, space radiation effect, microgravity biological effect and space bio-technology, before coming back to Earth with results.

This was China’s first microgravity scientific research satellite launch, and the 226th launch by the Long March series.