BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) – The following is a recap of the science and technology news released from China.
SPACE STATION
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), China’s core module of the Tianhe space station recently completed its platform functional tests and entered orbit to meet and dock with the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft.
The core module, which went into orbit on April 29, recently completed platform functional tests for rendezvous and docking, astronaut stay and mechanical arms, and in-orbit performance tests for project equipment for space applications.
SEAWATER BATTERY CATALYST
Chinese researchers from Tianjin University have developed a high-performance catalytic converter for seawater batteries that operate in deep-sea and lean-oxygen environments.
The researchers reported a microwave-assisted heating process and achieved the ultrafast synthesis of a highly active catalyst with a strong oxygenophilic interface.
COSMIC ACCELERATOR
Chinese scientists have discovered a dozen cosmic ultra-high energy (UHE) accelerators in the Milky Way, a find that could turn human understanding of the galaxy on its head. It could help uncover the origin of cosmic rays that have puzzled scientists for a century.
The results are based on observations made by the LHAASO (Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory) in China, one of the country’s most important national science and technology infrastructure facilities, which is under construction in Daocheng in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
SATELLITE NAVIGATION
The total output value of China’s satellite navigation and location services industry reached 403.3 billion yuan (around $ 62.75 billion) in 2020, up 16.9 percent from the previous year, according to an annual report.
The core sectors of the industry that are directly related to the development and application of satellite navigation technology include chips, devices, algorithms, software, navigation data, terminals and infrastructure.
