BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhuanet) – The following is a summary of published science and technology news from China.
ASTRONAUTS RETURN
The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft completed the circumnavigation and radial rendezvous tests at 1:38 p.m. Beijing time on Thursday, and the three astronauts will make their way home.
The tests successfully verified the radial rendezvous technology and laid an important technical foundation for the following manned missions, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
SHENZHOU-12
The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, which carries Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, separated from the core module of the Tianhe space station at 8:56 a.m. (Beijing time) on Thursday.
The three astronauts have lived and worked for 90 days in Tianhe, the longest stay of Chinese astronauts in space, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
TIANZHOU-3 CARGO SPACE
The combination of the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y4 launcher was brought to the launch area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Thursday.
The CMSA said the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft would be launched at an appropriate time in the near future.
BATTERY MATERIALS
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL), China’s largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry, announced on Thursday a framework agreement with German chemical giant BASF on solutions for battery materials, including cathodic active materials (CAM) and battery recycling.
With the aim of developing a sustainable battery value chain to support the localization of CATL in Europe, the collaboration will support both companies’ commitment to global carbon neutrality.
