China, UK Firm Launch Satellite Mission

The Tsinghua-1 microsat.

Beijing (XNA) Nov 10, 2004
China is actively taking part in international co-operation in Earth observation satellites, to study meteorology, natural resources, environment surveillance and other civil air-to-surface research, sources from the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

Chinese scientists and their counterparts in the Surrey Company of Britain are jointly developing a satellite for meteorological studies.

The satellite, with a higher reso-lution than ordinary meteorological satellites, is expected to be launched next May, said the ministry's official Shao Liqin, at a news conference yesterday in Beijing.

Through satellite-based Earth observation, Chinese scientists are also working hard to study global climate change and water resource rationalization and build a large database of new findings.

Their studies will focus on the Indian Ocean, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent areas, the North Pole and the South Pole, to approach new findings for climate change.

International co-operation is vital for the results, said vice-minister of science and technology Liu Yanhua.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

MICROSAT BLITZ

SpaceDev Awarded Phase II Of $43 Million MDA Contract

Poway CA (SPX) Oct 27, 2004
SpaceDev has been awarded the second task order on its existing $43 million contract with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), to design and develop up to six responsive, affordable high-performance networked micro-satellites to support national missile defense.
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