China, Russia-led lunar base to feature nuclear power plant on moon's surface, says space official
SHANGHAI, April 23 — Preliminary plans for the China and Russia-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) include building a nuclear reactor on the moon's surface, a presentation by a Chinese space official today showed.
The presentation by Pei Zhaoyu, chief engineer for China's 2028 Chang'e-8 mission, showed that the base's energy supply could also depend on large-scale solar arrays, which would be built on the moon's surface.
China's Chang'e-8 mission aims to lay the groundwork for the construction of a permanent manned lunar base.
The world's second largest economy is aiming to become a major space power and land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
China's timeline to build an outpost on the moon's south pole coincides with Nasa's more ambitious and advanced Artemis programme, which aims to put US astronauts back on the lunar surface in December 2025.
Wu Weiren, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, said last year that a 'basic model' of the ILRS, with the South Pole of the Moon as its core, would be built by 2035.
The Chang'e lunar probe launches are part of the construction phase for the 'basic model' outlined by Wu.
In future, China will create the '555 Project', inviting 50 countries, 500 international scientific research institutions, and 5,000 overseas researchers to join the ILRS. — Reuters
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The Star
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- The Star
Shining light to kill cancer cells
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PDT is also less painful than surgery, leaves minimal scarring and has fewer side effects. Some photosensitisers have already been approved for treating certain pre-cancerous conditions and cancers in the United States and Europe. PDT works best for cancer cells that can be reached by light such as skin cancer, which means it's not suitable to treat all types of cancer. Availability of PDT locally In Malaysia, the use of PDT is gradually increasing as awareness of its benefits grows. Since it is a minimally invasive healthcare technology, PDT is gaining attention as an alternative or complementary treatment to traditional therapies. Although PDT isn't intended to replace surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, it's a valuable option for certain patients. Experts believe that improvements in technology, such as better photosensitisers, will help expand the use of PDT. However, more research is needed to fully establish its advantages over traditional treatments and its cost-effectiveness within Malaysia's healthcare system. Healthcare providers and institutions are also working to make PDT more affordable and accessible, while educating patients about its benefits and limitations. Is PDT effective? PDT has been proven to work well for various cancers, including skin cancer, oesophageal cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, biliary tract cancer and head and neck cancers. It's particularly helpful for managing symptoms in advanced or recurring cases that can't be cured. For skin cancer, PDT offers an added benefit: it leaves the skin looking better after treatment compared to surgery or other options. In some cases, PDT has also been found to improve survival rates and quality of life. Side effects, such as light sensitivity, pain, redness, or itching, are usually mild and manageable. 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Looking ahead, researchers are working on developing more effective drugs and better ways to deliver light to tumours, which could make PDT even more effective. Worldwide, efforts are being made to make PDT more affordable and available to patients. In short, PDT is an innovative treatment for certain types of cancer. It offers a less invasive and more targeted approach compared to traditional options. As awareness grows and technology improves, PDT has the potential to play a substantial role in cancer care. While challenges remain, the future of PDT is bright, bringing hope to cancer patients everywhere. 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New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
China joins global scientists in exploring hadal zone
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Is China's Tiandu-1 first to enter resonant Earth-moon orbit? US raises doubts
China's Tiandu-1 satellite has entered a critical fuel-efficient orbit that synchronises with the motion of the Earth and moon, but claims that it is the first spacecraft to achieve the feat have been challenged by US and Canadian experts. The 3:1 resonant orbit – in which Tiandu-1 completes three loops of the Earth for every circuit made by the moon – is seen as a breakthrough for lunar infrastructure, including a BeiDou-like guidance system that will be needed for interplanetary exploration. Developer Deep Space Exploration Laboratory said that 'the Tiandu-1 navigation test satellite successfully carried out a key manoeuvre at perigee [the point in orbit when it is closest to Earth] on May 22 and precisely transitioned into a 3:1 Earth-moon resonant orbit'. 'This made Tiandu-1 the first spacecraft to enter a round-trip 3:1 Earth-moon resonant trajectory,' according to a statement on the website of the laboratory based in Hefei, Anhui province in central China. 'Its flight data will provide support for advancing technologies such as orbit maintenance, control, and autonomous navigation in complex gravitational environments.' Experts in the US and Canada immediately challenged the claim, pointing to Nasa's 15-year-old Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) probe that entered a near-identical orbit in 2011, where it continues to operate. Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and space historian, and Canada-based amateur stargazer Scott Tilley both said it was debatable whether Tiandu-1 could lay claim to the title, with the IBEX craft's achievement of near 3:1 resonance. 'Yes, indeed Tiandu-1 has entered a 3:1 resonance orbit. Whether it's the first is launched in 2008 uses a similar orbit,' Tilley said. According to McDowell, the advantage of resonant orbits is that they allow a spacecraft to operate far from Earth while avoiding the unpredictable, chaotic motion caused by frequent lunar fly-bys. 'The resonance provides stability,' he said. In a 3:1 resonance, the 61kg (135lb) Tiandu-1 – which launched alongside the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite last year – completes each petal of its three-lobed orbit around the Earth roughly every nine days – the same amount of time it takes the moon to complete one. In April, state news agency Xinhua reported that China's DRO-B satellite had departed lunar orbit, after helping to establish the 'world's first three-satellite constellation in cislunar space', and entered an Earth-moon resonant orbit. DRO-B, a 277kg Chinese satellite that was salvaged after being stranded in the wrong orbit due to a launch mishap last year, is currently in a 3:2 Earth-moon resonant orbit, according to Tilley, who is best known for helping Nasa to find its long-lost IMAGE satellite in 2018. The Canadian amateur astronomer, who tracks satellites in his spare time, said he noticed that DRO-B had vanished from its known lunar orbit more than a month ago and began searching for it. Using graphics and research papers, Tilley modelled a 3:2 resonance orbit – one that tours the gravitational balance points between Earth and the moon known as L3, L4, and L5. After an exhaustive search, he spotted DRO-B in such an orbit. DRO-B completes three circles around Earth in the time it takes the moon to complete two. The satellite traces a broad, triangular loop with lobes near the L3, L4, and L5 points, which it swings past roughly every 18 days. 'DRO-B is not transmitting all the time like it used to, and it's likely [to be] having minor power issues as its solar panel supports were damaged during the launch mishap,' Tilley said. He added that DRO-B's orbit was especially notable because this specific class of 3:2 resonance orbit had never been used before. 'Japan's Hiten lunar probe did visit some of these points, but didn't use a 3:2 resonance orbit.' According to Tilley, China's use of these orbits seemed to be all about testing navigation-related technologies. 'Having a system that covers the entire Earth-moon system for orbital determination and positioning would be very helpful,' he said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
