Chinese device flew to the edge of the atmosphere and returned to Earth

A Chinese spacecraft that can reach the edge of the atmosphere has taken off and returned to Earth in

within one day. As the Chinese authorities noted, this is a big step for the development of reusable space transportation technology.

The device took off from the cosmodrome in the northwestChina on Friday and completed the flight in accordance with "established procedures," said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporate Center (CASC), the country's top space contractor. He then landed horizontally on Earth.

A spaceship capable of flying insuborbital space, capable of rising to an altitude of 100 km above the Earth's surface. CASC did not report to what altitude the spacecraft climbed, and did not specify its flight trajectory. Photos of the spacecraft and the flight have not been published.

A new data transfer speed record has been set: 319 Tbit/s over fiber optics

The development of reusable space technologytransport is a sign of China's transition from a "big" space power to a "powerful" space power, - noted in the CASC. Reusable spacecraft will increase the frequency of flights and reduce the cost of missions due to the possibility of their repeated use.

In September last year, China sent an experimental spacecraft on a rocket. The device returned to Earth after two days in orbit.

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