A smart shield tunneling machine developed and produced by China for export to Singapore rolled off the production line on Monday.
The shield machine, named "Zhongtie 1238" and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG) in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, boasts a tunneling diameter of 7.22 meters.
Though it is not the largest shield machine produced by the group, this type of shield machine are developed with innovation.
Shield machines are used to drill through tunnels, and traditional ones can only move forward, but cannot go backwards. As a result, when a tunnel project is completed and there is no exit ahead for the machine, the machine would be cut into pieces at the scene.
However, the "Zhongtie 1238" is equipped with a double-layer shield structure, allowing it to return the same way after completing its work.
The shell of the shield can remain permanently at the scene as stable support, while the machine inside can be used in other projects later.
This innovation helps the group further consolidate its market presence in Singapore.
Up to now, the group has received orders for more than 1,700 sets of different shield machines, with the total mileage of tunnel excavation exceeding 5,000 kilometers.
The products of the CREG have been exported to more than 30 countries and regions, and its production and sales volume have ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years.
China's reusable shield tunneling machine ready for export to Singapore
The lunar samples collected from the far side of the moon by China's Chang'e-6 mission are on public display for the first time at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
The Chang'e-6 probe successfully landed at the designated area in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the deepest and oldest impact basin on the far side of the moon, on June 2 to conduct a sample collection mission.
On June 25, it returned to Earth with 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon, marking the first time in human history.
The lunar soil on display, weighing approximately 75 milligrams, represents the first public welfare samples from Chang'e-6.
"The lunar samples from Chang'e-6 were showcased to the public for the first time and represent humanity's first-ever sample collection from the far side of the moon. Research revealed that these samples contain three stages of basalt, holding considerable scientific value," said Huang Yong, assistant director of the News and Publicity Center at the China National Space Administration.
The exhibition also includes the Chang'e-6 return capsule, the parachute that safely delivered the lunar samples to Earth, and the sealed container used for collecting lunar soil. This container uses vacuum technology to isolate the lunar samples from the external environment.
The event, also known as Airshow China, is scheduled for Nov. 12-17 in Zhuhai, a city in south China's Guangdong Province. Since its inception in 1996, it has become an important window on showcasing advanced aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment from home and abroad.
Lunar samples from moon's far side debut at Airshow China
