|
The
country has successfully brought back more than 20 satellites
from space since 1975 and is confident its technology is highly
reliable, said Zhang Hongtai, president of the China Academy of
Space Technology, a satellite and spacecraft maker.
"We plan to upgrade this technology in order to satisfy the
needs of commercial users," he was quoted as saying.
The satellites allow scientists to send experiments into space
on unmanned missions and recover the results. China has used
these satellites in the past to send seeds into space,
developing new types of plants from seeds that have been exposed
to zero gravity and cosmic radiation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been keen to advance China's
space program which lags its counterparts in the United States
and Russia, saying it is needed to enhance national security and
defense.
(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
