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SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

China advances Mars science: Tianwen-3 enters construction; Tianwen-1 images interstellar visitor from Mars

China's Tianwen‑3 Mars sample‑return mission has moved into spacecraft construction, targeting a late‑2028 launch to retrieve Martian material and search for biosignatures. Separately, Tianwen‑1's HiRIC camera imaged interstellar object 3I/ATLAS from Mars, showing a coma dominated by large (hundreds of μm) grains and dust speeds of 3–10 m/s.

2026-03-12T16:09:07.996102-07:00

Space.com

U.S. lawmakers push for permanent lunar base amid China competition — feasibility and industry implications

2026-03-12T06:04:06.000636-07:00

Universe Today

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

2026-03-11T03:38:46.974388-07:00

SpaceNews.com

BlueStar Optical Domain raises ≈$70M Series C as China scales laser satellite communications

2026-03-11T03:32:22.947404-07:00

Hype Analysis

China's Aviation Industry in September 2024: Key Developments and Trends

October 3, 2024 - China's aviation industry in September 2024 expanded international routes, advanced the COMAC C919, and navigated competitive pressures. Read More.

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

China advances Mars science: Tianwen-3 enters construction; Tianwen-1 images interstellar visitor from Mars China's Tianwen‑3 Mars sample‑return mission has moved into spacecraft construction, targeting a late‑2028 launch to retrieve Martian material and search for biosignatures. Separately, Tianwen‑1's HiRIC camera imaged interstellar object 3I/ATLAS from Mars, showing a coma dominated by large (hundreds of μm) grains and dust speeds of 3–10 m/s.

2026-03-12T16:09:07.996102-07:00

China advances Mars science: Tianwen-3 enters construction; Tianwen-1 images interstellar visitor from Mars

Space.com

U.S. lawmakers push for permanent lunar base amid China competition — feasibility and industry implications U.S. lawmakers are pressing to establish a permanent lunar surface base, explicitly framed as a response to strategic competition with China. The proposal raises sharp questions about technical feasibility, costs, timelines and how commercial and NASA contractors would deliver and sustain lunar infrastructure.

2026-03-12T06:04:06.000636-07:00

U.S. lawmakers push for permanent lunar base amid China competition — feasibility and industry implications

Universe Today

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China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push Beijing has published a stepped‑up 2026 spaceflight plan featuring two crewed missions, a cargo resupply, a planned year‑long solo endurance experiment and the first Tiangong flight carrying astronauts from Hong Kong or Macao; parallel hypersonic tests and reusable‑rocket trials accelerate Beijing’s timeline toward a crewed lunar landing.

2026-03-11T03:38:46.974388-07:00

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

SpaceNews.com

BlueStar Optical Domain raises ≈$70M Series C as China scales laser satellite communications Shanghai-based laser communications startup BlueStar Optical Domain has raised about $70 million in a Series C round. The large financing signals a scale-up of China’s laser satellite communications sector and rising demand from domestic satellite‑internet constellation builders seeking high‑capacity intersatellite and ground links.

2026-03-11T03:32:22.947404-07:00

BlueStar Optical Domain raises ≈$70M Series C as China scales laser satellite communications

The War Zone

Serbian MiG-29s photographed carrying Chinese CM-400 supersonic air-to-ground missiles Photographs show Serbian Air Force MiG-29 fighters armed with the Chinese-made CM-400 supersonic air-to-ground standoff missile, a system until now publicly observed only in Pakistani service. The images are the first open evidence of CM-400 integration on Serbian combat jets.

2026-03-10T15:58:30.101355-07:00

Serbian MiG-29s photographed carrying Chinese CM-400 supersonic air-to-ground missiles

SpaceNews.com

Landspace completes long‑duration hot‑fire of 220‑ton methane engine as it pursues heavy‑lift rockets Landspace completed a long‑duration full‑system hot‑fire test of a new 220‑ton‑class methane rocket engine, advancing development beyond its Zhuque‑3 small‑launcher work. The test is a propulsion milestone on the path toward a future heavy‑lift vehicle with larger payload capability.

2026-03-10T04:47:22.981882-07:00

Landspace completes long‑duration hot‑fire of 220‑ton methane engine as it pursues heavy‑lift rockets

Reuters

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Archer files counterclaim accusing Joby of defrauding U.S. government and hiding China ties in eVTOL contract dispute Archer Aviation filed a counterclaim accusing rival Joby Aviation of defrauding the U.S. government and hiding close ties to China — including Chinese supply‑chain links — to gain an unfair competitive advantage in a U.S. eVTOL contract dispute. The filing escalates an already intensifying legal battle between the two air‑taxi developers.

2026-03-09T23:39:14.763056-07:00

Archer files counterclaim accusing Joby of defrauding U.S. government and hiding China ties in eVTOL contract dispute

Universe Today

Chang'e‑6 regolith: jagged, clingy lunar dust could enable in‑situ construction Researchers at Beihang University analyzed Chang'e‑6 samples returned from the lunar far side and found the regolith's jagged, clingy and electrostatically charged properties could be beneficial for in‑situ construction. The paper, published in Research, argues these mechanical traits may simplify building habitats and infrastructure using local material.

2026-03-09T09:58:05.181507-07:00

Chang'e‑6 regolith: jagged, clingy lunar dust could enable in‑situ construction

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China News

China advances Mars science: Tianwen-3 enters construction; Tianwen-1 images interstellar visitor from Mars

U.S. lawmakers push for permanent lunar base amid China competition — feasibility and industry implications

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

BlueStar Optical Domain raises ≈$70M Series C as China scales laser satellite communications

Hype Analysis

China's Aviation Industry in September 2024: Key Developments and Trends

News Timeline