China launches first satellite that can be recovered and reused

The Long March 2D rocket carrying the Practical 19 satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The report did not specify when the satellite would return to Earth. According to CCTV, China successfully launched its first reusable satellite on September 27 in a mission aimed at advancing seed science , microgravity research and international cooperation in space.

The Long March 2D rocket carrying China's first reusable satellite, Jiuquan 19, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (China) on September 27, 2024.

The Practical 19 satellite has achieved many technological breakthroughs and is expected to significantly improve the technical level and application efficiency of China's recoverable satellites. If successful, Practical 19 will be China's first satellite with a reusable re-entry vehicle.

In addition, Practice 19 also carries payloads from five countries, including Thailand and Pakistan, as part of China's efforts to promote international cooperation in space.

The primary mission of the Practical 19 satellite focuses on conducting space mutation experiments with seeds. By exposing seeds to cosmic radiation and microgravity, the experiments could lead to mutations that are valuable in the development of new plant varieties.

The creation of new varieties can help realize the scientific and technological autonomy of the seed industry and independent control of seed sources, CCTV reported. Chinese researchers also plan to test the performance of domestically developed components and materials using the new satellite, CCTV said.

Researchers will also use this reusable satellite to conduct space experiments and advance the development of new space technologies, contributing to fields such as microgravity science and space life science.

As the third country to launch and recover spacecraft after the United States and Russia, China has carried out dozens of satellite missions and significantly improved satellite-related technologies. Building on this success, China has also carried out missions to send humans into space and retrieve soil samples from the moon.

Chinese scientists are also researching and developing reusable rockets similar to the Falcon 9 or Starship of the US space corporation SpaceX.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-lan-dau-phong-ve-tinh-co-the-duoc-thu-hoi-tai-su-dung-185240928171802599.htm