WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF
Reusable rockets have disrupted the space industry, could reusable satellites do the same?
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We’ve heard a lot about reusable rockets, but what about reusable satellites … ? Well, now in a first China recovered its first reusable experimental satellite on Friday, retrieving its scientific payload and equipment after two weeks in orbit. The China National Space Administration said the Shijian-19 satellite met its targets on various technological fronts, from reusability to payload ratio and re-entry.
“Shijian-19 is … an efficient platform for research in microgravity science and space life sciences,” state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. “Additionally, the Shijian-19 satellite provided an in-orbit flight test verification opportunity for domestically produced components and materials. The flight tests verified the technical specifications of a new generation of high-performance, reusable space experiment platforms.”
The Future of Space Travel, by keynote Matthew Griffin
The satellite is part of a series developed by the Fifth Academy of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group for scientific exploration and experiments.
It was launched on September 27 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre aboard a Long March 2D rocket but officials did not say how it returned to Earth and carried various payloads, including experiments on plant and microbial breeding, technology verification and space science. Seeds from Hainan and Anhui provinces were sent aloft and exposed to space conditions to induce mutations.
Large numbers of the Shijian series of satellites have been launched.
In the past, data and materials from satellites were transferred to a disposable return capsule after completing their missions in orbit, which were typically no more than a month, and recyclable satellites require even higher levels of design propulsion, thermal protection, and navigation systems.
According to state news agency Xinhua, reusable satellites will help to cut space technology costs for China and enable technology to be tested faster, transforming research for practical applications.
Reusable, highly reliable, and safe space vehicles are important future directions in space exploration, and so now both the Chinese government and numerous private companies are actively exploring reusable rocket technology.
