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China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

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      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      2024-11-16 04:53 Last Updated At:13:17

      The Chinese cargo craft Tianzhou-8 completed its status setup and successfully docked with the orbiting Tiangong space station on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

      At 02:32 Beijing Time (18:32 GMT), the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft docked at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module, said the CMSA.

      The Shenzhou-19 crew members aboard the space station will gradually transfer items from the cargo craft to the station.

      Tianzhou-8 was launched into space atop a Long March-7 Y9 carrier rocket at 23:13 Beijing Time (15:13 GMT) on Friday from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

      The cargo craft is loaded with essential supplies for the orbiting crew, including living necessities, medical supplies and support materials for their spacewalks.

      It also carries multiple new test payloads that will provide crucial support for the advancement and application of new technologies, as well as the progress of space science.

      Notably, the 'lunar soil brick,' created by Chinese scientists to simulate the composition of lunar soil, is also aboard Tianzhou-8 for space exposure experiments aimed at confirming whether the 'brick' can be used to construct houses on the moon.

      There is also a unique species -- fruit flies -- among the scientific experiment payloads carried by Tianzhou-8. They are expected to help complete the country's first space sub-magnetic-microgravity composite environment science experiment.

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      China's cargo craft Tianzhou-8 successfully docks with Tiangong space station

      A representative of Chinese solar photovoltaic enterprises at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) foresaw an exponential growth in clean energy and recognized China's significant role in driving the global green transformation.

      One of the key themes at the WEF in Davos is Safeguarding the Planet. Among the influential voices in clean energy was Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of China's LONGi Green Energy, a world's major manufacturer of solar module. He highlighted the rapid advancements in solar photovoltaic (PV) energy worldwide.

      "As of today, solar photovoltaic energy has exceeded 2 terawatts globally. But it's important to note that reaching the first terawatt took 68 years—from 1954 to 2022. However, we achieved the second terawatt in just 3 years, showing how fast the growth is. According to the International Energy Agency, global solar capacity will reach 4 terawatts by 2030, which is just 6 years away. Personally, I believe it will exceed 5 terawatts," said Zhong.

      Development of other clean energy sources is also on a fast track. LONGi Green Energy is investing in hydrogen energy and green methanol, essential technologies for the global decarbonization endeavor.

       "We are also focusing on hydrogen energy and green methanol. We believe that to fully decarbonize the world, we'll need more than just electricity; we'll also need liquid and gaseous fuels for industries like shipping. The key to decarbonizing these liquid and gaseous fuels is hydrogen. By developing hydrogen energy, we can create green methanol, which will help support a comprehensive global effort to reduce carbon emissions," he added.

      Speaking of international interactions, Zhong noted that trade barriers still exist amid the global expansion of green energy companies. However, he affirmed China's instrumental role in accelerating the global green energy transformation. 

      "I think that most countries are open to using clean energy as green energy companies expand internationally. However, some countries want to have local solar manufacturing, which can create trade barriers. Right now, China is a major player in both solar and wind energy worldwide. Whether it's in technology or production capacity, China has made the biggest contribution to the global green energy transition," said Zhong.

      Solar power to see exponential growth, China leading global green transformation: LONGi Chairman

      Solar power to see exponential growth, China leading global green transformation: LONGi Chairman

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