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China successfully sends experimental spacecraft into orbit for the third time in 2020

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BEIJING — China has successfully launched a reusable robotic spacecraft on Thursday for the third time since 2020 in a series of secret orbital test flights aimed at developing reusable technology to reduce the cost of space missions.

The unmanned spacecraft flew atop a Long March 2F rocket, the same rocket series China uses to transport astronauts into space, on Thursday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, state media said. It was launched in

The spacecraft will operate in orbit for a “certain period” before returning to a designated landing site in China. State media reported that reusable technology would be “validated” and space experiments carried out during the flight, but gave no other details.

of final launch The spacecraft was launched in August 2022 and returned to Earth after a 276-day orbit. Details such as what technology was tested or how high the plane flew were not disclosed. Images of the spacecraft have never been released to the public.

China’s plans for a reusable spacecraft (referred to by some as Shenlong, or “Shenron” in Chinese) coincide with a similar secret plan by the United States to fly an autonomous spacecraft known as the X-37B.

Thursday’s launch in China came hours after the launch countdown for the new rocket. X-37B SpaceX has canceled its mission for the third time this week due to weather and technical issues at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A new launch date for the X-37B has not yet been announced. The X-37B was scheduled to launch for its seventh mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket that can carry secret robotic spaceplanes to much higher orbits than ever before.

The Pentagon has provided few details about the mission, which will be overseen by the U.S. Space Command under the military’s National Security Space Launch Program.

But Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told reporters at an industry conference this week that he expects China to launch Shenron around the same time as the upcoming He said he expected further developments in the growing competition.

“It is no surprise that the Chinese are very interested in our spaceplanes. According to the US aerospace magazine Air & Space Force Magazine, we are very interested in theirs. ,” Saltzman said.

“These are two of the most-watched objects in orbit. It’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to grab us at this timing and sequence.”

of Made by Boeing(Ban) The X-37B is about the size of a small bus and resembles a small space shuttle ship, and is designed to deploy a variety of payloads and conduct technology experiments on long orbital flights.

On its previous mission, the unmanned X-37B returned to Earth in November 2022 after more than 900 days in orbit.

China successfully launches reusable spacecraft for the first time September 2020 This happened after it had been in orbit for just two days.

The development of reusable spacecraft is considered important to ultimately achieving the goal of increasing the frequency of space flights and lowering the cost per mission.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The competition between US and China for dominance in EV battery technology escalates

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Semiconductors have become a focus of U.S. efforts to thwart China’s technological advances in recent years. Washington is now turning its attention to another hot technology area where China is making significant progress: electric vehicle batteries.

Earlier this month, the Treasury and Energy Departments was suggested Joe Biden approved a rule last year that would limit electric vehicle buyers from claiming tax credits if their cars contain battery materials from China or other countries deemed “hostile” to the United States. Under the president’s flagship climate change law, consumers are entitled to up to $7,500 in subsidies for electric vehicles. Purchasing EVs manufactured in the U.S. using primarily domestic materials.

In response, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce counterattacked Last week, it said the U.S. rules “discriminate against Chinese companies and violate WTO rules.” Excluding Chinese suppliers from U.S. tax incentives is “typical of non-market-oriented policies and practices,” the department said.

The rule, aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Chinese supply chains in a new era of decoupling, comes as part of the president’s plan to cut global warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. This is likely to hinder Biden’s efforts to boost sales of EVs.

Also at stake is America’s aim to curb China’s dominance in a field that is booming as countries transition to electric vehicles. China’s two largest battery manufacturers, CATL and BYD, together accounted for about 53% of global EV battery usage in the first 10 months of this year, according to data from China. SNE Research.

According to the research firm, as of the third quarter of this year, China was the world’s largest EV market with a 58% share, followed by the United States and Germany. counterpoint.

Major South Korean companies such as LG, Samsung, and SK On offer competitive alternatives to China’s cheap and advanced batteries and are most likely to benefit from deteriorating US-China relations. . But even the South Korean company is reeling from new geopolitical complications.

Even though SK-on has been approached by both Ford and Hyundai to launch battery projects in the United States, Choi Tae-won, president of parent company SK Group, recently said, blamed The US keeps battery costs high. The artillery division of South Korean conglomerates is now forced to look elsewhere for materials outside of China.China Owns the majority of the global supply chain for EV batteriesfrom mining rare minerals to refining and cell production.

To maintain cost appeal, Chinese battery companies are setting up factories in the U.S. and requiring buyers to continue to qualify for the EV tax credit. Industry giants like Gotion, BYD, and CATL have strategic plans to manufacture in the United States, but the path is not without obstacles. Ford, for example, suspended plans to build a $3.5 billion EV battery factory with CATL in Michigan as U.S. politicians scrutinize its contract with the Chinese company.

Source: techcrunch.com