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TOPIC

Space

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NASA
Space
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Space. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
LATEST China Science NEWS

Chinese team details drone plan to capture Martian samples and avoid bio risks

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In the Tianwen-3 mission the lander is expected to carry drilling and scooping tools for biosignature analysis, while the uncrewed drone collects rocks from over 100 metres away. Photo: Handout

AI poses ‘existential risk’ if out of control, Chinese computer scientist warns

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China has been pushing to tighten AI oversight, including new regulations taking effect later this year that require AI-generated content to be clearly identified. Photo: Shutterstock

China can’t buy Nvidia’s RTX 4090. Now its optical chip is twice as fast

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Chinese researchers say they have developed the world’s first highly parallel optical computing integrated chip, named “Meteor-1”. Photo: Handout

Chinese scientists catch cosmic rays meddling in quantum computer operation

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The findings could be significant for the scaling of quantum processors and the design of fault-tolerant quantum computing systems, research team says. Photo: Shutterstock

The unsung spleen may play a big role in fighting diabetes: Chinese scientists

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An estimated 589 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, expected to rise to 853 million by 2050, the International Diabetes Federation says. Photo: Shutterstock
MORE China Science NEWS
An image provided by ispace shows its Resilience lander circling the moon on June 4. Photo: ispace / AP
Japan

Japan firm blames faulty space laser for doomed moon mission

Despite back-to-back failures, ispace is planning its third moon landing attempt in 2027 with Nasa’s cooperation.

Elon Musk

How much of a future does Elon Musk really have in US politics?

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United States

SpaceX Starship explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

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Science

China to lead global space weather monitoring and warning network

Latest agreements add to country’s initiative in long-term surveillance system to protect communications, power grids.

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Solar storms can severely disrupt satellite communications, navigation and power grids on Earth. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

Mengzhou spacecraft for China’s moon-landing mission passes landmark test flight

In safety test, safety capsule touched down with airbag cushioning to ensure astronauts survive during rocket failures at lift-off.

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China's space programme

Opinion | Threat of US-China land grab in space demands urgent legal reforms

Strengthening peaceful uses of space can only be done by negotiating with China and other nations bound by the same obligations as the US.

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Science

China’s landmark orbital refuelling mission: why US spy satellites hover nearby

Shijian-25 is expected to use its robotic arms to latch onto Shijian-21 and replenish its fuel.

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A Long March-3B rocket carrying the Shijian-25, blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China in January. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Planetarium’s discovery about outer solar system shocks astronomers

‘Freak accident’ finding has changed thinking on shape of the Oort Cloud, a theoretical area of deep space believed to be a source of comets.

SpaceX

Trump-Musk clash threatens to ground US space ambitions

US president’s threat to pull Musk contracts casts a shadow over critical Nasa, Pentagon and commercial space initiatives.

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Japan

Japan firm apologises after moon landing mission fails again

The company lost contact with the Resilience spacecraft, which was carrying a rover with a shovel to gather lunar dirt.

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Takeshi Hakamada, CEO of ispace, attends a press conference in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: AFP
Science

Milky Way’s cosmic collision: is it less likely than we thought?

A new study suggests our galaxy’s long-predicted merger with Andromeda is now essentially a coin flip.

An illustration shows a stage in the potential merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy, as viewed in Earth’s night sky in 3.75 billion years. Photo: Nasa/ESA via Reuters
Donald Trump

Trump to replace his nominee for Nasa head

Original pick Jared Isaacman, a billionaire with ties to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, was only days away from his planned Senate confirmation vote.

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Science

China doubles down on building cutting-edge telescopes in Thailand

13-metre Chiang Mai radio antenna and another being built in southern Thailand expected to aid GPS, climate research and quake forecasting.

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SpaceX

Musk sets ambitious 2026 goal for uncrewed Starship Mars voyage

Optimal planetary alignment drives aggressive timeline for SpaceX mission.

Reaching Mars hinges on whether Starship can accomplish a number of challenging technical feats. File photo: Nasa via Reuters
Science

Hunt for elusive ‘Planet Nine’ at edge of solar system offers surprise

Discovery of a possible dwarf planet suggests our cosmic backyard holds many more secrets to uncover.

An artist’s concept illustration shows a distant view from ‘Planet Nine’ back towards the sun. Photo: Caltech via AFP
Science

China plans to arm Tiangong space station with self-defence bots: scientist

Sun Zhibin says robotic thruster could latch onto unidentified object approaching critical Chinese space infrastructure and push it away.

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Science

China’s Tianwen-2 lifts off on mission to bring asteroid samples back to Earth

Plan is for spacecraft to first visit 2016 HO3, which could be a fragment of the moon, then start a seven-year journey to comet 311P.

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United States

SpaceX Starship tumbles out of control, breaks apart in latest test setback

SpaceX confirmed spacecraft experienced ‘a rapid unscheduled disassembly’ in ninth test launch.

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SpaceX’s next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its Super Heavy booster. Photo: Reuters
Music

Strauss’ Blue Danube heading to space for composer’s birthday

European Space Agency will beam the waltz into deep space to mark 200 years since composer’s birth, after it was passed over by Nasa in 1977.

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Style Edit

Style Edit: Omega’s space legacy continues, from Nasa’s Gemini missions to today

In 1965, it became Nasa’s official chronograph for astronauts on manned space missions, thereby launching a legacy now reimagined in a retro-futuristic design that blends heritage and modern mechanics.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese scientist behind supercomputer in orbit: ‘Put AI in space’

Space has once again become the frontier of scientific exploration, and AI should be part of it, says Zhejiang Lab director Wang Jian.

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A Long March 2D rocket carrying a space computing satellite constellation blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on May 14. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Nasa’s Mars Perseverance snaps a selfie as a Martian dust devil blows by

The composite of 59 images taken by the rover’s robot arm camera took an hour to capture.

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Perseverance takes a selfie on Mars on May 10. Image: Nasa via AP
US-China relations

For China, Golden Dome shows US is ‘obsessed with absolute security’

Foreign ministry says missile defence system ‘violates the principle of peaceful use of outer space’ and risks turning it into battlefield.

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Donald Trump

Trump picks ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield to counter China, Russia

US Space Force general will lead the ambitious missile shield programme involving a network of satellites.

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Science

China makes first 5G satellite-to-phone video call. Will it defy TikTok curbs?

Breakthrough enabling streaming video content directly to phones via satellites would face significant regulatory, technology hurdles, experts say.

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The technology that allowed a satellite-to-smartphone broadband video call using 5G standards could theoretically enable streaming video content directly to phones via satellites, but it faces significant hurdles. Photo: Shutterstock
Tourism

How much is a trip to space? Virgin Galactic eyes price rise for 2026

Virgin Galactic had been selling seats on its forthcoming Delta spacecraft at about US$600,000 a seat. In 2026, it plans to charge more.

A still from a video from Virgin Galactic on August 10, 2023, with Anastatia Mayers (front left), 18, Jon Goodwin (back right), 80, and Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses (front right) in space. Virgin Galactic had been selling seats on its forthcoming Delta spacecraft at about US$600,000 a seat. In 2026, it plans to charge more. Photo: Virgin Galactic/AFP
US-China relations

Will satellite dogfights be the final frontier for US-China space rivalry?

Analysts warn of more intense space race as rival powers grappling with low trust and transparency seek both superiority and deterrence.

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Science

China launches satellites to build the world’s first supercomputer in orbit

Once complete, the space-based Three-Body Computing Constellation will support real-time, in-orbit data processing.

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