China Aims To Double Satellite Life Expectancy By 2010

by Staff Writers
Beijing (XNA) Nov 20, 2007
China is likely to double the life expectancy of its homemade satellites by 2010, a vice minister in charge of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said on Sunday. Sun Laiyan, also chief of the China National Space Administration, said the country would strive to boost the life expectancy of its satellite designs in sun-synchronous orbit to four to five years by the end of the 11th Five-Year period (2006-2010). Currently, it is two to three years.

The life expectancy of satellites in geo-stationary orbit is expected to nearly double to 15 years from eight years at present, Sun said at the country's third civil space work conference.

He said the nation would strive to finish the feasibility study of the second and third stages of its moon mission and its joint mission to Mars with Russia within three years.

China, the third country to put a man in space, launched its first lunar probe on Oct. 24. It was the first step of its ambitious three-stage moon mission.

The mission is aiming for a moon landing and the launch of a moon rover vehicle around 2012 in the second phase. In the following phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to Earth with samples of lunar soil and stone for scientific research around 2017.

Sun said homemade communications and broadcast satellites were expected to replace foreign-made equipment that is currently used by 2010.

During the period, China will have basically built a monitoring and early-warning system for space environment and launch satellites for disaster relief and the testing of new materials, technologies and equipment, he added.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

TECH SPACE

Bargain Basement Satellites

Huntsville AL (SPX) Nov 20, 2007
Looking for a cheap fare 'round the world? Your search is over. A NASA team has built a small, low-cost satellite called FASTSAT, and it's almost ready to fly. Need some details before you sign up? Read on.

INTERNET SPACE Bee Strategy Helps Servers Run More Sweetly Electricity Grid Could Become A Type Of Internet Google revs up profits as advertising revenues soar Internet preparing to go into outer space	LAUNCH PAD Lockheed Martin-Built Sirius 4 Launched Successfully From Baikonur Cosmodrome First Soyuz Launch From Kourou Set For 2009 Ground Broken For New Test Launch Pad Sea Launch Resumes Countdown for Thuraya-3 Launch
AEROSPACE Time Magazine Recognizes The X-48B Virgin to offer carbon offsets alongside drinks and perfume NASA sorry over air safety uproar Airbus superjumbo makes first commercial flight	MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS Boeing Demonstrates FAB-T Multi-terminal Link Capability To USAF Successful Second Launch Of Skynet 5 Satellite US And Australia Share New Communications Satellites Northrop Grumman-Built Defense Support Program Flight 23 Satellite Successfully Launched
TECH SPACE Bargain Basement Satellites China Aims To Double Satellite Life Expectancy By 2010 Dawn Checkout Going Out Argonne Scientists Use Unique Diamond Anvils To View Oxide Glass Structures Under Pressure	APPOINTMENTS Boeing Names Darryl Davis To Lead Advanced Systems For Integrated Defense Systems Northrop Grumman Names John Landon VP Of Missiles, Technology And Space Programs Dr Mary Cleave Appointed To Board Of Directors Of Sigma Space Northrop Grumman Appoints GPS And Military Space VPs
EARTH OBSERVATION Rosetta: OSIRIS' View Of Earth By Night Strange Space Weather Over Africa KAGUYA Captures The Earth Rising Over The Moon Earth Observation Essential For Geohazard Mitigation	GPS NEWS German chancellor says satnav financing plan to be drafted soon V7 Launches New Portable Navigation Devices GPS Chipset Shipments To Grow From 110 Million To 725 Million Units In 2011 Providence Health And Services Chooses WWT and AeroScout For Wireless Asset Tracking Solution

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement