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LATEST China Science NEWS

Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine expert Hu Haitao leaves US for China

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Leading mRNA immunologist Hu Haitao has joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology in Beijing. Photo: Handout

In eastern China, ancient ruins push back the date of Yangtze delta’s earliest cities

The prehistoric Doushan site in Wuxi is believed to date back about 6,000 years. Photo: Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

China speeds up armour steel production by 30%, US Conshohocken plant folds

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Tanks drive past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Photo: Dpa

Targeted jamming incident blinds GPS and BeiDou in east China’s Nanjing

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A disruption to satellite navigation systems affected daily life and the local economy of Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

US-based scientist Valery Fokin wins Vyzov Prize, beating fierce Chinese rivals

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Valery Fokin has been awarded the Vyzov Prize for his discovery of a “molecular snap” reaction that has become a widely used tool across scientific disciplines and has enabled the creation of DNA imaging technologies, diagnostic methods and clinical drugs. Photo: Vyzov Foundation
MORE China Science NEWS
Michaela Benthaus is seen on Blue Origin New Shepard NS-37 in Van Horn, Texas, on Saturday. Photo: Blue Origin via AFP
United States

German engineer becomes first wheelchair user to blast into space

Michaela Benthaus had thought her dreams of being an astronaut were over after she was badly injured in a mountain bike accident.

Donald Trump

Trump’s space plan envisages US moon base amid race with China

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United States

Musk ally Isaacman confirmed as Nasa chief amid moon race with China

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Science

Open Questions | Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin on why he’ll be happy if AI surpasses humans

Acclaimed author of the Three-Body trilogy also discusses his ‘dark forest’ theory, and the struggle to come up with original ideas.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Why sci-fi’s Liu Cixin hopes AI surpasses humanity

The Three-Body Problem author on technology’s remorseless progress, why superintelligence isn’t a given and the decline of science fiction literature.

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US-China relations

Trump’s Nasa pick vows US will beat China back to the moon

Isaacman says Washington must move quickly to stay ahead of Beijing amid intensifying rivalry in space exploration.

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Science

China’s first reusable rocket Zhuque-3 fails recovery, leaving US in the lead

Designer LandSpace says it is investigating after lower stage of the rocket appeared to catch fire before crashing near the recovery site.

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The rocket’s first stage crashed back to Earth. Photo: Weibo/ 航天爱好者网
Aerospace: Science

China’s Xingyan ‘Star Eye’ network to track satellites and space debris

The web of 156 orbiting sensors will form the country’s second space situational awareness constellation designed to bring down the risk of collisions.

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Taiwan

Hong Kong fire, Trump calls in Japan-China row, Macron visit

This week: Hong Kong fire kills at least 128, Trump speaks to Xi and Takaichi amid Japan-China row, Bessent says Xi and Trump may meet four times in 2026. Next week: France’s Macron visits China, EU economic security doctrine, November factory activity, and more.

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on Taiwan, the Ukraine war, China-US ties

Zhou Bo ponders Japanese PM Takaichi’s recent remarks, lessons from the Ukraine conflict and why China won’t be world’s policeman.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Science

Lightning on Mars? Scientists believe they have captured its sound on tape

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has picked up the crackling of electrical discharges on its microphone.

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The US rover Perseverance has recorded data showing that there is also lightening on Mars. Photo: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/dpa
South Korea

‘Turning point’: South Korea’s largest satellite launched on Nuri rocket

This is the country’s first primarily home-grown space launch vehicle – previous launches had relied heavily on technology from other nations.

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Technology

Opinion | How AI, quantum and space technologies will define the Asian century

Together, they form an engine that will determine which nations shape the century ahead and which struggle to keep pace.

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China's space programme

Explainer | Why China’s space sector is grabbing attention – including from Elon Musk

Chinese start-up LandSpace is set to launch its first reusable rocket on Saturday. If it succeeds, it will give China’s space sector a major boost.

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The Zhuque-3 rocket completes a launch test at a site in China’s northwestern Gansu province last year. The device is one of several reusable rockets under development in China. Photo: Getty Images
Obituaries

Joan Branson, wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, dies at 80

The Virgin Atlantic founder called his spouse his best friend, rock, and his guiding light in a social media post about her death.

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Richard Branson and his wife, Joan, attend an event in Beverly Hills in February 2016. Photo: TNS
Science

China’s first emergency space launch: vessel with repair kit reaches Tiangong

Shenzhou-22’s arrival at the Tiangong station will come as a relief for the crew after another return ship was damaged by space debris.

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Nasa

Nasa shares new images of 3I/ATLAS and rejects alien spacecraft ‘rumours’

US space agency officials say that 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever observed, is a comet.

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China's space programme

Editorial | US and China should cooperate to make space safe for all

Space safety is one area where Chinese, Americans and everyone else can benefit from coordination and the sharing of information and costs.

Wang Jie, a Shenzhou-20 astronaut, returns to Earth on the Shenzhou-21 spaceship’s capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on November 14. Photo: AP
Style Edit

Style Edit: Omega’s Christmas drop spotlights Aqua Terra and Speedmaster

Omega unveils luxurious dials, innovative movements and celestial design cues on its must-see holiday pieces.

SpaceX

Race for first private space station heats up as Nasa plans 2030 ISS retirement

Companies like Vast, Axiom and Blue Origin are in a fierce competition to develop commercial space habitats.

China's space programme

Stranded Chinese astronauts return home from space station mission

Astronauts return from Tiangong space station aboard new crew’s spacecraft after suspected debris strikes vessel and delays launch.

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Chen Dong, the commander of the Shenzhou-20 crew, waves after the crew’s return on Friday afternoon. Photo: Xinhua
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China’s chief space contractor readies plans for tourism programme

A state-owned giant is expected to unveil a space tourism package this week, with suborbital trips priced lower than US rivals SpaceX and Blue Origin.

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The primary contractor for China’s space programme is expected to announce plans for tours this week. Photo: AP
United States

Bezos’ Blue Origin launches huge rocket for milestone Mars mission

In a remarkable first, Jeff Bezos’ company successfully recovered the New Glenn booster, matching the cost-saving achievement by rival SpaceX.

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China Future Tech briefing

Aerospace | Musk’s SpaceX faces China threat in reusable rocket race

At least nine reusable rocket projects are nearing maiden flights in China, posing a potential threat to Elon Musk-led SpaceX’s grip on the commercial satellite launch market.

France

‘War of tomorrow will begin in space,’ Macron says, singling out Russia

The leader unveiled a multibillion euro increase in French military spending for space activities, citing Russia’s threat of nuclear arms.

An illustration depicts a weapon in space firing a laser against the background of the Earth. Image: Nasa/Shutterstock
US-China relations

From reusable rockets to deep-sea dives: how China closes tech gap on the West

China sees outer space and the polar regions as ‘strategic new frontiers’ vital to its future security – and is investing accordingly.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Science

China joins space factory race with breakthrough in inflatable module technology

Those who master ‘manufacture in space will gain the initiative in future space economic development’, according to Institute of Mechanics.

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United States

Trump again nominates Musk ally Isaacman to be Nasa chief

The billionaire private astronaut was renominated six months after the US president withdrew his initial choice amid a bitter row with Elon Musk.

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