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China successfully launches cargo resupply spacecraft

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BEIJING: China successfully launched an automated cargo resupply spacecraft to rendezvous with an orbiting module, in the second of a series of missions needed to complete its first permanent space station.

The Tianzhou-2, or “Heavenly Vessel” in Chinese, blasted off via a Long March-7 Y3 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the southern island of Hainan, the China Manned Space Engineering Office said.

Tianzhou-2 is the second of 11 missions needed to complete China’s first self-developed space station around 2022 and follows the launch of the key module Tianhe in late April.

The three-module space station will rival the only other station in service, the International Space Station (ISS), which is backed by countries including the United States, Russia and Japan. China was barred from participating in the ISS by the United States.

Tianzhou-2 will autonomously dock with Tianhe, which will provide supplies for future astronauts as well as propellant to maintain its orbital altitude. The rocket’s launch was postponed this month due to technical reasons.

The first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 was sent to refuel a space lab – Tiangong-2 – three times in 2017, as a test of the technologies needed to support the construction of the space station. Both Tiangong-2 and an earlier space lab Tiangong-1 have been deorbited in recent years.

Next year, China will launch the two other core modules — Wentian and Mengtian — using the Long March 5B, its biggest and most powerful space transport vehicle.

That rocket, capable of sending 25 tonnes of payload into low Earth orbit, was a source of worry earlier in May as it re-entered the atmosphere after delivering Tianhe into orbit.

Media reports warned of an “uncontrolled” re-entry of the rocket’s core stage, reviving memories of debris from the flight of the first Long March 5B in May 2020, which damaged buildings when it landed in Ivory Coast.

Remnants from the rocket finally fell harmlessly in the Indian Ocean, but China drew criticism for not being transparent about the timing of the debris re-entry and predictions of its trajectory.

From June until 2022, four manned spacecraft and four cargo spacecraft will also be launched, by the smaller Long March-7 and 2F rockets, which have a maximum low Earth payload of 14 tonnes and 8.8 tonnes, respectively.

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The Pioneer of Optics; Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham

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The contribution of Muslim Scientists.

The era which we are praising today is the product of the intellects of many millennium. Those are the gems of intellect that worked out at that time when there were no scientific resources. Those people have observed their surroundings and have produced resources for humanity. The intellectual Muslims have contributed to every field and their contributions are most valuable. Today all the advancements are based on the discoveries and inventions of ancient scientists both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Modern scientists are working and producing technological items that are also based on the ideas of ancient ones.

Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham of Basra is known to be the pioneer of Optics. He was the product of the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation that was a creative time period and brought out many far-reaching advancements in the field of science, mathematics, and medicine. He was the greatest Muslim physicist and one of the greatest students of optics of all time. He was inspired by the works of other great philosophers and scientists who were before him such as Aristotle, Euclid, Al-Kindi, Banu Musa, Ibrahim Ibn Sinan, and Ibn Sahl. Ibna al-Haytham based his theories on the work of Greek physician Galen. He is the one who introduced the methods of verification, testing, and experimentation for the exploration of truth. He has written books as well and in one of his books he says: “If learning the truth is the scientist’s goal . . . then he must make himself the enemy of all that he reads.”

He was the person who has given the concept of how vision works. And he has written a book about the “Book of Optics” in which he has illustrated the eyes and optic nerves. He has drawn images of eyes which have been used by the modern scientist to understand and to produce lenses and other optics items. Al-Haytham used a dark chamber to explore the nature of light and vision. Through this experiment, he observed that light entering through a small hole would travel straight and would project an image onto the opposite wall. From this concept, modern cameras have been designed.

Today, if we can have different lenses and glasses to replace or improve our vision artificially and can capture our every moment, is all because of Al-Haytham. The world is grateful for all his contributions.


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Pakistan, China hold meeting to promote agri-forestry economy

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The third Science and Technology Exchange Conference on China-Pakistan Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest is being held both online and offline from November 26 to 28 in Zhengzhou, China, and Gwadar, Pakistan simultaneously.

The exchange conference aims to showcase achievements and research progress of both nations in the field of economic forestry. It also seeks to facilitate academic exchanges of woody medicinal herbs and active substances between China and Pakistan.

The event, co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Forestry (CSF) and Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), drew over 220 officials, scholars, students and business representatives from both countries, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

In 2021, to enhance the economic and ecological development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), CSUFT, China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), and Yulin Holdings collaborated to establish an Engineering Research Center for Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest.

The center aims to showcase a green and sustainable development approach, focusing on the non-wood forest industry and its compatibility with ecological, economic, and social benefits in Gwadar.

During the review and discussion of the progress made over the past years, Zhang Baozhong, chairman of COPHC, introduced the impact of eco-economic forest construction on the business environment in Gwadar.

Focusing on the collection and utilization of germplasm resources of arid- and salt-tolerant and non-wood barren forests, the organizer invited experts to make special presentations on the research progress and development prospects of different plants, including Eucommia ulmoides, Elaeis guineensis, Moringa oleifera, and Hippophae rhamnoides.

The event is organized by Henan Agricultural University, Henan Forestry Society, Economic Forest Branch of CSF, COPHC and Yulin Holdings.

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China Unveils World’s Fastest Internet Backbone Network at 1.2 Terabits per Second

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China has stunned the world with its latest technological leap—unveiling the fastest internet service globally, clocking in at an astounding 1.2 terabits per second. This groundbreaking achievement emerged from China’s Future Internet Technology Infrastructure (FITI) project, a collaborative endeavor involving Tsinghua University, China Mobile, Huawei Technologies, and CERNET.com Corporation.

This cutting-edge “backbone network,” activated in July, spans a 3,000-kilometer fiber-optic network connecting Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. Surpassing predictions, this ultra-high-speed network defies industry standards, outpacing existing internet backbone networks globally, including the United States’ fifth-generation Internet2, which boasts a minimum speed of 400 gigabits per second.

Wu Jianping, the lead of the FITI project, emphasized the monumental impact of this accomplishment, positioning China to pioneer even faster internet technologies. Wang Lei, Vice President of Huawei Technologies, added a practical dimension, highlighting the network’s capability to transfer data equivalent to “150 high-definition films in just one second.”

This ambitious initiative extends beyond domestic realms, promising faster information transfers and potential national security enhancements, potentially reshaping industries and offering strategic advantages, including stock trading.

President Xi Jinping perceives this milestone as strategic, solidifying China’s stance as a “cyber power,” catalyzing the advancement of core internet technologies. While not posing a direct threat to the U.S., it could lay the groundwork for bandwidth-intensive Chinese enterprises.

Launched domestically on July 31, this network, powered by IPv6-only technology, aims to create an open research and test platform spanning 40 universities across 35 cities.

China’s unveiling of the world’s fastest internet backbone network elevates the nation to the forefront of internet technology, signaling wide-reaching implications far beyond national connectivity.

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