News

Tianzhou cargo craft to help advance science

Published

2 years ago

28/11/2021

MNN

Chinese scientists, researchers and engineers now have the opportunity to use the country’s robotic cargo spacecraft to carry out experiments and tests, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a statement on Thursday that scientific experiments, technological tests and other applications in frontier or strategically important fields are eligible for the opportunity to be conducted on board China’s Tianzhou cargo spaceships.

Projects affiliated with central and local governments, research organizations, educational bodies and enterprises are welcome to submit their proposals to the agency by Jan 15.

The physical size of each selected experiment or test shall not exceed a maximum weight of 30 kilograms and a maximum height of 30 centimeters. They must follow strict safety standards, according to specific requirements published by the agency.

Participants shall deliver their devices, which need to be carried by the spacecraft, to the agency eight to 10 months ahead of the scheduled launch date for related checks. They are also required to ensure that such devices will be ready for launch no later than three months before the launch date.

Tianzhou-series craft are tasked with transporting supplies and propellants to China’s permanent space station, which is now manned by three astronauts and will be expanded with more modules in 2022.

With a designed life-span of more than one year, each Tianzhou cargo spaceship has two parts－a cargo cabin and a propulsion section. Such vehicles are 10.6 meters long and 3.35 meters wide.

Each Tianzhou craft has a liftoff weight of 13.5 metric tons, and can transport up to 6.9 tons of supplies to the space station, according to designers at the China Academy of Space Technology.

Lei Jianyu, a leading structural engineer, said Tianzhou is the world’s best space cargo ship when it comes to carrying capacity. Previously, no cargo vehicle could transport as much as 6.9 tons of materials to space.

Lei said there are a total of 40 cubic meters inside the vehicle and 18 cubic meters are available for cargo.

The shelves’ shapes and arrangements are carefully calculated to make it easy for astronauts to move among them to retrieve desired items.

Tianzhou 1, China’s first cargo spacecraft, was launched at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province in April 2017. It carried out several docking and in-orbit refueling maneuvers with a Chinese space laboratory in a low-Earth orbit from April to September that year, making China the third nation capable of in-orbit refueling, after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

World

Hamas plans to suspend Gaza ceasefire negotiations if Israel attacks Rafah

Published

1 hour ago

02/05/2024

Hamas said on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations with Israel would be suspended if Israel attacks the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview with Lebanon-based al-Manar TV that Hamas would halt all indirect negotiations with Israel if it launches military operations against Rafah.

Accusing Israel of seeking “to blackmail all the parties by its threats of attacking Rafah,” the official said “the resistance is still having its power to defend our people.”

On Monday, a Hamas delegation left Cairo and said they would return with a written response to the latest truce proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his seventh visit to the Middle East, on Wednesday urged Hamas to accept the truce deal which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and a halt to the fighting, with the possibility of further steps towards a comprehensive deal later.

“Israel has made very important compromises,” he said. “There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They (Hamas) should take it.”

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Hamas was still studying the proposed deal but said Israel was the real obstacle.

Israel is holding off sending a delegation to Cairo for follow-up truce talks, pending a response from Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, an Israeli official told Reuters.

Israel’s military chief of staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday said that the country’s offensive operation in Gaza “will continue with strength” and that Israel was “preparing for an offensive in the north.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that Israel will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there “with or without” a deal with Hamas.

With an Israeli ground operation in Rafah on the horizon, United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday that Israeli improvements to aid access in Gaza “cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah.”

More than one million people face famine after six months of the conflict, the UN has said.

As night fell on Wednesday, Israeli planes and tanks pounded several areas across Gaza, residents and Hamas-linked media said.

Medics in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in strikes on Wednesday, with others likely hurt or killed in areas they were unable to reach.

To speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, the U.S. military has so far constructed over 50 percent of a maritime pier that will be placed off the coast of Gaza, according to the Pentagon.

However, U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether the pier is a worthwhile endeavor. On the one hand, it will cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days; on the other hand, the U.S. military personnel could become targets of Hamas militants, Republican Senator Roger Wicker told Reuters.

Source(s): CGTN

News

Solih reassures MDP dedication to protecting workers’ rights

Published

14 hours ago

01/05/2024

Former President and Advisor of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights.

In a post on social media, Solih extended his congratulations to all Maldivian workers on International Labour Day, highlighting the advocacy of MDP for crucial policies like safeguarding workers’ rights and implementing a minimum wage. He also assured that the party remains dedicated to upholding the rights of workers

The world celebrates International Labour Day annually on May 1.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Efforts underway to limit Hajj pilgrimage rates

Published

14 hours ago

01/05/2024

Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) has initiated significant steps to substantially lower the prices of Hajj pilgrimage trips, aligning with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledge to reduce costs for travellers from Maldives.

In a post shared on social media, Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel announced the establishment of the “Hajj Fund,” aimed at reducing pilgrim expenses while creating income-generating opportunities for the corporation, thus strengthening its financial stability. He underscored that efforts are currently underway to minimise Hajj trip costs, with an increase in real estate investments.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed affirmed that restructuring the Hajj Corporation would substantially decrease Hajj pilgrimage rates. He further emphasised the Ministry’s proactive measures under the new administration to address this issue. This year, the Hajj Corporation has disbursed USD 4,537 with over 7,000 individuals on the waiting list. The government has officially allocated 100 quotas to the Maldives to mitigate the waiting list and alleviate high pilgrimage costs incurred.

Minister Shaheem stated that if additional quotas are to be granted, private entities will be engaged in organising pilgrimage trips, adhering to the list compiled by the Hajj Corporation.

Source(s): PsmNews