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Economic Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
China unveils ‘gunpowder-powered' space debris catcher that could covertly disable enemy satellites
Live Events How does the launcher work? Addressing the space junk crisis Possible military implications? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Chinese researchers have developed a new space-debris catcher that quietly launches a net to capture dangerous debris orbiting Earth. A team of aerospace engineers from Nanjing University of Science and Technology and collaborators in Shanghai and Shenyang have introduced a compact launcher capable of capturing space device propels a capsule containing a net toward floating debris like defunct satellites and spent rocket parts. Once caught, the debris can be safely pulled out of orbit to burn up in Earth's traditional projectile systems, this launcher operates silently, producing no smoke, flash, or strong vibrations. Its innovative design prevents the destabilization of the host spacecraft and allows for precise and safe operation in per the South China Morning Post, this technology was unveiled last month in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica system uses a small gunpowder charge to generate high-pressure gas that drives a piston forward. A specially designed weak section breaks at a preset pressure to release the net capsule.A unique 35-degree angled ring acts like a collapsing flower, absorbing most recoil energy and reducing thrust impact by over 9 per cent compared to earlier SCMP explains that this careful engineering minimizes barrel movement, ensuring sensitive satellite instruments remain unharmed. The sealed design also traps gas, preventing contamination of the space debris has become a critical threat to satellites and spacecraft, with growing amounts of defunct equipment posing collision risks. This new launcher is compact, requires no external power, and can be mass-produced, offering an efficient solution to help clean up dangerous orbital the primary goal is debris management, experts warn that the technology could be adapted for covert military use. Unlike visible missile strikes or explosions, this system could disable or capture an adversary's satellite silently, leaving it to appear as though it failed naturally.A Beijing-based space scientist, speaking anonymously to the South China Morning Post, said, 'There would be no explosion, no visible attack, only a satellite that ceases to respond.'The launcher's emergence comes amid intensifying geopolitical competition in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons in orbit and requires peaceful use of space, but does not explicitly forbid conventional kinetic weapons like China's debris catcher is currently operational or still in development remains unclear. Yue Shuai, the project lead and associate professor at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, is noted as an expert in space weapon systems and has already launched two payloads into orbit, with more planned.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
China unveils ‘gunpowder-powered' space debris catcher that could covertly disable enemy satellites
Chinese researchers have developed a new space-debris catcher that quietly launches a net to capture dangerous debris orbiting Earth. A team of aerospace engineers from Nanjing University of Science and Technology and collaborators in Shanghai and Shenyang have introduced a compact launcher capable of capturing space debris. The device propels a capsule containing a net toward floating debris like defunct satellites and spent rocket parts. Once caught, the debris can be safely pulled out of orbit to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Also Read: Jessica Radcliffe wasn't attacked by an Orca; in fact, scientists reveal these killer whales are friendly and often let dolphins swim right beside them by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally | Zen Life Mag Undo Unlike traditional projectile systems, this launcher operates silently, producing no smoke, flash, or strong vibrations. Its innovative design prevents the destabilization of the host spacecraft and allows for precise and safe operation in orbit. Live Events As per the South China Morning Post, this technology was unveiled last month in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica. How does the launcher work? The system uses a small gunpowder charge to generate high-pressure gas that drives a piston forward. A specially designed weak section breaks at a preset pressure to release the net capsule. A unique 35-degree angled ring acts like a collapsing flower, absorbing most recoil energy and reducing thrust impact by over 9 per cent compared to earlier designs. The SCMP explains that this careful engineering minimizes barrel movement, ensuring sensitive satellite instruments remain unharmed. The sealed design also traps gas, preventing contamination of the space environment. Addressing the space junk crisis Space debris has become a critical threat to satellites and spacecraft, with growing amounts of defunct equipment posing collision risks. This new launcher is compact, requires no external power, and can be mass-produced, offering an efficient solution to help clean up dangerous orbital clutter. Possible military implications? While the primary goal is debris management, experts warn that the technology could be adapted for covert military use. Unlike visible missile strikes or explosions, this system could disable or capture an adversary's satellite silently, leaving it to appear as though it failed naturally. A Beijing-based space scientist, speaking anonymously to the South China Morning Post, said, 'There would be no explosion, no visible attack, only a satellite that ceases to respond.' The launcher's emergence comes amid intensifying geopolitical competition in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons in orbit and requires peaceful use of space, but does not explicitly forbid conventional kinetic weapons like this. Whether China's debris catcher is currently operational or still in development remains unclear. Yue Shuai, the project lead and associate professor at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, is noted as an expert in space weapon systems and has already launched two payloads into orbit, with more planned.
The Star
30-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
China plans to arm Tiangong space station with self-defence bots: scientist
Sun Zhibin says robotic thruster could latch onto unidentified object approaching critical Chinese space infrastructure and push it away. — SCMP China is developing a rapid-response space defence system to intercept suspicious spacecraft and push them away, according to a senior scientist. If an unidentified object approaches China's Tiangong space station or other critical space infrastructure, a small robotic thruster could be deployed to latch onto the intruder and push it to a safer distance, said Sun Zhibin of the National Space Science Centre in Beijing. 'Sometimes another spacecraft may deliberately come close – maybe just to take a look – but it can still interfere with our operations,' Sun said during a public talk on the technological progress and plans for Tiangong, at Nanjing University of Science and Technology on Tuesday. 'In such cases, we first try to assess their intent. Then we choose how to respond – whether by dodging, adjusting our orbit, or releasing a small robot to grab and redirect the object,' he said while answering questions from the audience. In December 2021, China reported to the United Nations that its space station had to perform two evasive manoeuvres that year to avoid potential collisions with SpaceX's Starlink satellites. According to the submission, Starlink-1095 and Starlink-2305 descended from their usual 550km (342-mile) orbits and entered Tiangong's operational zone around 380km, prompting emergency avoidance actions on July 1 and October 21. Harvard astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell confirmed the encounters using US space tracking data, estimating that the Starlink satellite might have come within just 3km in the October incident. Both near-misses occurred while Tiangong was occupied – by the Shenzhou-12 crew in July and the Shenzhou-13 astronauts in October – at a time when the station was still under construction in low-Earth orbit. China's note to the UN said the events 'constituted dangers to the life or health of astronauts aboard the China Space Station'. Under international law, states were responsible for all national space activities, including those conducted by commercial operators, it said. The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has also developed related technologies. One of its ongoing programmes, which aims to build robotic systems capable of inspecting and servicing satellites in geostationary orbit, could be adapted to approach or manipulate other spacecraft. China's pursuit of in-orbit defence capabilities comes amid heightened global focus on space security. In the US, President Donald Trump recently proposed a space-based missile shield known as the 'Golden Dome' – a US$175bil initiative aimed at intercepting threats such as hypersonic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Golden Dome project, which explicitly identifies China as a key concern, reflects a broader shift towards viewing space as a contested domain and highlights a shared priority among space powers to protect their critical assets in orbit. – South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
08-03-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Chinese vaccine shows promise in stopping plaque build-up in arteries
Chinese researchers say they have developed a 'cocktail' nanovaccine to prevent plaque from building up in the arteries – an underlying factor in heart disease , which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advertisement The team said the experimental vaccine had shown promise in a trial on mice. It targets a condition known as atherosclerosis that causes a build-up of plaque – a deposit of fatty substances, cholesterol and cellular waste – in the arteries, which can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart attacks. The nanovaccine was developed by a team of researchers from institutes including the Nanjing University of Science and Technology and the University of Science and Technology of China. To create it, the team attached either an antigen that triggers an immune response against atherosclerosis or an immune response booster onto tiny iron oxide nanoparticles. Advertisement When the resulting nanovaccine was injected into mice that were fed a high-cholesterol diet, the team found that the immune response triggered was able to reduce the development of atherosclerosis. 'Our findings demonstrate that the two-pronged nanovaccine delivery strategy is effective against atherosclerosis,' the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on March 2.
