Author: Resham

China’s Damaged Shenzhou-20 Spacecraft to Return Uncrewed for Inspection China’s first crewed spacecraft ever declared unfit for flight mid-mission will return to Earth without astronauts so experts can assess the damage it sustained, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was originally scheduled to bring its crew back to Earth on 5 November after a six-month stay aboard the Tiangong space station. However, the mission was abruptly delayed when astronauts discovered a crack in one of the return capsule’s windows just before departure — a first in the history of China’s human spaceflight programme. Emergency Measures and Crew…

China Establishes New Regulator to Boost Its Commercial Space Industry China’s rapidly expanding commercial space sector received a major boost on Saturday with the creation of a dedicated regulatory body. The move highlights the central government’s determination to manage and support the fast-growing industry while ensuring sustainable and high-quality progress. New Commercial Space Department Announced The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced the formation of the Commercial Space Department, which will act as the main regulator for all commercial space activities in the country. This new body is expected to strengthen oversight, encourage innovation, and enhance coordination across China’s space…

Building a High-Quality Aerospace Ecosystem China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced a new two-year action plan to promote the high-quality development and security of its commercial aerospace sector. The plan outlines the creation of a coordinated and secure commercial aerospace ecosystem by 2027, designed to boost innovation, expand industrial capacity, and strengthen governance. According to the CNSA, the initiative aims to ensure well-organised scientific and technological research, efficient use of resources, and stronger industrial management. By 2027, the country expects to achieve significant progress in innovation, capacity building, and resource coordination, marking a major step towards sustainable commercial aerospace…

TSMC Accuses Former Executive of Trade Secret Breach Taiwan prosecutors have launched an investigation into Wei-Jen Lo, a former senior executive at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), after the chipmaker accused him of leaking trade secrets to Intel. Lo, who joined Intel in October following his retirement from TSMC, is now under scrutiny for alleged violations of Taiwan’s National Security Act. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to global technology leaders such as Nvidia, confirmed on Tuesday that it had filed a lawsuit against Lo in Taiwan’s Intellectual Property and Commercial Court. The company said there…

South Korea Launches Fourth Homegrown Nuri Rocket with Private Sector Participation South Korea successfully launched its fourth domestically developed space rocket, Nuri, early on Thursday, marking a key step in expanding private-sector involvement in the nation’s space industry. The Science Ministry confirmed that the rocket placed more than a dozen satellites into orbit, marking the first launch carried out in partnership with a private company. Private Sector Takes the Lead The latest Nuri launch represents a milestone in South Korea’s space ambitions. While the programme began in 2021 under government leadership, this mission saw local company Hanwha Aerospace take charge…

Italy Expands Antitrust Probe into Meta Over WhatsApp AI Tools Italy’s antitrust authority announced on Wednesday that it has widened its investigation into Meta Platforms over claims the company misused its dominant market position by deploying artificial intelligence tools within WhatsApp. Broader Investigation into AI Integration The regulator, known as AGCM, said it is examining whether the new WhatsApp Business Solution terms — introduced on 15 October — and the integration of Meta’s new AI features could limit competition. According to the authority, these updates may restrict market access, output or technical development in the emerging AI chatbot services sector.…

China Successfully Conducts First Emergency Space Launch to Safeguard Tiangong Station China has completed its first-ever emergency space launch, sending an unmanned spacecraft to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday to ensure crew safety after a damaged vessel raised concerns earlier this month. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft lifted off on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 12:11 p.m. (0411 GMT), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed. The spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit before docking with Tiangong at 3:50 p.m. (0750 GMT). CMSA declared the mission a…

Chinese Scientists Explain Why Moon’s Far-Side Soil Is Extra Sticky Chinese scientists have discovered why the lunar soil collected by the Chang’e-6 mission from the far side of the moon is unusually cohesive. The sticky and clumpy texture of these samples, unlike those gathered from the moon’s near side, has fascinated researchers since their return to Earth in 2024. Experiments Reveal Key Soil Differences A team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences led the investigation, publishing their findings in Nature Astronomy. To study the unusual soil properties, the team performed fixed funnel and…

China to Launch Unmanned Shenzhou-22 to Restore Space Station Operations China will launch the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft on November 25, marking a key step toward stabilising operations at its Tiangong space station after an earlier vessel was damaged, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday. The move aims to restore normal conditions for China’s manned spaceflight programme, which faced disruption earlier this month. Replacing the Damaged Shenzhou-21 The Shenzhou-22 will travel to Tiangong to replace the Shenzhou-21, which had to return to Earth six months ahead of schedule following damage to another docked vessel, the Shenzhou-20. The early withdrawal left Tiangong…

China and Germany Move to Mend Trade Ties Amid Rare-Earth Tensions China has made a renewed push to strengthen relations with Germany’s new government, seeking to ease trade frictions that have disrupted German manufacturing and raised calls for reduced dependence on Chinese supply chains. The diplomatic outreach marks a quick reversal from earlier tensions over export curbs on chips and rare earths that led to Germany’s foreign minister cancelling a planned visit to China in October. Beijing Calls for Deeper Cooperation At the G20 summit in South Africa, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and called for…