China retrieves first reusable, returnable test satellite

China successfully retrieved its first reusable and returnable test satellite, Shijian-19, at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 10:39 a.m. (Beijing Time), Oct. 11, 2024, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA). All the returnable payloads in fields like plant and microorganism breeding, autonomous control and new technology validation, space science experiments, as well as social welfare and cultural innovation, have been retrieved smoothly, said the CNSA. (Photo by Wang Heng/Xinhua)
BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) — China successfully retrieved its first reusable and returnable test satellite, Shijian-19, at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 10:39 a.m. (Beijing Time) Friday, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
All the returnable payloads in fields like plant and microorganism breeding, autonomous control and new technology validation, space science experiments, as well as social welfare and cultural innovation, have been retrieved smoothly, said the CNSA.
Launched on Sept. 27 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Shijian-19 has realized a number of technological breakthroughs.
The flight tests have broken through key technologies such as reusability, damage-free recovery, and high microgravity assurance, verifying the technical indicators of the new generation of high-performance reusable return-style space test platforms and achieving all expected test results.
Featuring high microgravity levels and good timeliness, Shijian-19 is an efficient space test platform for high microgravity levels, supporting research in microgravity science and space life science.
Researchers carried out space breeding experiments, new technology validation, and space science experiments using the reusable satellite, aiming to promote the development and application of new space technologies.
The satellite also carried multiple international cooperation payloads, serving as an excellent platform for promoting international cooperation in space exploration and utilization. ■

China successfully retrieved its first reusable and returnable test satellite, Shijian-19, at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 10:39 a.m. (Beijing Time), Oct. 11, 2024, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA). All the returnable payloads in fields like plant and microorganism breeding, autonomous control and new technology validation, space science experiments, as well as social welfare and cultural innovation, have been retrieved smoothly, said the CNSA. (Photo by Wang Heng/Xinhua)