April 2021 Space News

China successfully launches core module for its space station, kicking off intense construction phase Global Times 29 Apr 2021 -- China has successfully sent the first section of its own space station - the Tianhe core module cabin - into preset orbit via a Long March-5B Y2 carrier rocket from Wenchang spaceport in South China's Hainan Province on Thursday, kicking off an intense construction phase of the project.
Xi congratulates successful launch of Tianhe core module Global Times 29 Apr 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all participants of the Tianhe core module launch mission on Thursday, saying the success marks China's space station construction entering into the all-round execution phase, laying solid foundation for following missions.
Xi congratulates success of space station core module launch PLA Daily 29 Apr 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated the successful launch of the core module of China's space station.
GT exclusive: China's first integrated base supporting rocket building, sea launch to be 'operational in May' Global Times 27 Apr 2021 -- China's new rocket base specially designed to support seaborne rocket launches, located in the coastal city of Haiyang, East China's Shandong Province, will become operational in May, and it will be capable of general assembly and testing for at least 10 solid-propellant rockets per year, a project leader disclosed to the Global Times on Tuesday.
Portugal to produce space launcher systems People's Daily 27 Apr 2021 -- A joint venture formed by the German Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) and the Portuguese Engineering and Development Center (CEiiA) will develop and produce space launcher systems in Portugal, according to a joint press release of RFA, CEiiA and the AICEP Portugal Global, a government trade and investment agency, on Monday.
NASA Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Flies Faster, Farther Than Ever VOA 26 Apr 2021 -- U.S. space agency NASA said the experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity — in its third flight Sunday on the red planet — flew farther and faster than ever, including during test flights on Earth.
China aims to launch Chang'e-6 lunar probe around 2024 PLA Daily 25 Apr 2021 -- China aims to launch the Chang'e-6 probe to collect samples in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon around 2024, a space expert said on Saturday.
China's first Mars rover named 'Zhurong' PLA Daily 25 Apr 2021 -- China's first Mars rover has been named "Zhurong."
China's Mars rover named after fire god, to ignite interplanetary exploration enthusiasm Global Times 24 Apr 2021 -- China unveiled the highly anticipated name of the country's first Mars rover - Zhurong - at the opening ceremony for this year's Space Day of China activities centered in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province.
China reveals moon station plan with Russia, openness on Space Day Global Times 24 Apr 2021 -- In the latest show of China's consistent open-mindedness in the space sector, China National Space Administration and its Russian counterpart issued a joint declaration on cooperation in the creation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), with the two sides emphasizing the facility is open to all international partners interested in cooperation, the CNSA disclosed to the Global Times on Saturday, which marked the Space Day of China 2021.
China, Russia emphasize international cooperation in establishing Lunar station with joint declaration Global Times 24 Apr 2021 -- In the latest show of China's consistent open-mindedness in the space sector, China National Space Administration and its Russian counterpart issued a joint declaration on cooperation in the creation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), with the two sides emphasizing the facility is open to all international partners interested in cooperation, the CNSA disclosed to the Global Times on Saturday, which marked the Space Day of China 2021.
China prepares to launch space station core module People's Daily 23 Apr 2021 -- The combination of the core module of China's space station, Tianhe, and the Long March-5B Y2 rocket has been transported to the launching area of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday.
NASA's Mars Rover Makes Its Own Oxygen VOA 22 Apr 2021 -- The U.S space agency NASA says its Perseverance rover has converted carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Martian atmosphere to oxygen, a critical step toward future human exploration of Mars.
U.S. Facing Increasing Nuclear, Space-Based Threats, Leaders Say DoD News 20 Apr 2021 -- Two Defense Department leaders discussed threats to the U.S. from China and Russia and the DOD's steps at providing a credible deterrent during a Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing today.
China's space-tracking ship departs on new mission in Pacific PLA Daily 20 Apr 2021 -- Space-tracking ship Yuanwang-5 departed from a port in east China's Jiangsu Province on Tuesday for a maritime monitoring mission in the Pacific Ocean.
China Orbiting 400 Satellites, Heading for 1,000 by 2030, US Space Command Chief Says Sputnik 20 Apr 2021 -- China now has 400 satellites in orbit, second only in number to the United States and it is projected to have at least one thousand of them deployed by the end of this decade, Space Command chief Army General James Dickinson said in congressional testimony on Tuesday.
Russia Ready to Attract Foreign Partners to Project of New Space Station, Deputy Prime Minister Says Sputnik 19 Apr 2021 -- Russia is ready to involve other countries in the project to create a new space station, but is ready to finance it on its own, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said on Monday.
Russia Plans to Withdraw From ISS, Deploy Its Own National Space Station Sputnik 18 Apr 2021 -- Russia will exit the International Space Station (ISS) initiative in 2025 and will inform its international partners about that decision, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told broadcaster Rossiya 1 on Sunday.
Russia is examining the ISS and will decide to withdraw from the project from 2025 TASS 18 Apr 2021 -- Russia will conduct a technical survey of the International Space Station (ISS) and decide to withdraw from the project from 2025, and will warn foreign partners about this.
As Artemis Moves Forward, NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon NASA 16 Apr 2021 -- NASA is getting ready to send astronauts to explore more of the Moon as part of the Artemis program, and the agency has selected SpaceX to continue development of the first commercial human lander that will safely carry the next two American astronauts to the lunar surface. At least one of those astronauts will make history as the first woman on the Moon. Another goal of the Artemis program includes landing the first person of color on the lunar surface.
DARPA Selects Performers for Phase 1 of Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) Program DARPA 12 Apr 2021 -- DARPA has awarded contracts for the first phase of the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. The goal of the DRACO program is to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system above low Earth orbit in 2025. The three prime contractors are General Atomics, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin.
Russians, American Reach ISS Aboard Spacecraft 'Gagarin' RFE/RL 09 Apr 2021 -- A Russian spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American has docked with the International Space Station (ISS) after a flight honoring the anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to reach space 60 years ago next week.
Russia Extends Space Cooperation With U.S. Until 2030 RFE/RL 03 Apr 2021 -- Russia's government has extended a space cooperation agreement with the United States until 2030, one of the few remaining partnerships between Moscow and Washington amid spiraling relations.
Russian Military Satellite Breaks Up Over Pacific, US Air Force Reports Sputnik 03 Apr 2021 -- Russian military satellite Kosmos 2525, which was launched in 2018, has descended from orbit and broken up over the Pacific Ocean, according to US Air Force data, published at space-track.org.
China's FAST telescope opens to global scientists People's Daily 01 Apr 2021 -- China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest filled-aperture and most sensitive radio telescope, has officially opened to the world starting Wednesday.

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