Chinese space-monitoring ship Yuanwang-3 has completed a 27-day maritime calibration mission and returned to port in east China's Jiangsu Province Thursday.
The ship will take part in six maritime space monitoring missions as a part of the space expeditions scheduled for the second half of the year, which will include the launch of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe and BeiDou-3 satellite.
Yuanwang-3 has embarked on more than 40 expeditions in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, sailing more than 580,000 nautical miles.
Apart from the missions assigned to Yuanwang-3, Yuanwang series vessels will carry out a total of 16 maritime space monitoring missions in the latter half of this year.
The Yuanwang-1 and Yuanwang-2 ships were China's first-generation space tracking vessels, which first entered service in late 1970s, making China the fourth country to master space tracking technology after the United States, Russia and France.
China prepares to launch second heavy-lift carrier rocket
China is preparing to launch a powerful rocket on Sunday as the country presses on with its ambitious space program.
Designed to lift space station components, deep-space probes and communication satellites into orbit, the Long March-5 Y2 is Beijing's second heavy-lift rocket able to carry up to 25 tonnes – or around the same weight as 16 cars.
It will take off from the Wenchang launch … read more
