Chinese researchers have successfully conducted the country’s first satellite laser ranging experiment at lunar distances, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization announced on Friday.
The experiment, carried out on Wednesday, measured the distance to the DRO-A satellite, which is in a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) around the Moon.
The measurement, conducted at a distance of 350,000 kilometers, was made possible by a 1.2-meter telescope laser ranging system on Earth and a single corner-cube retroreflector onboard the satellite.
By optimizing the telescope's pointing accuracy and utilizing advanced ultra-weak signal detection and processing techniques, the ground system successfully captured photons reflected from the satellite's retroreflector.
This technological breakthrough paves the way for high-precision satellite ranging and time-difference measurements within the Earth-Moon system, as well as future applications in deep space.
The DRO-A/B dual-satellite combination was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on March 13, 2024. The two satellites were successfully separated on August 28, 2024.
Earlier this month, China successfully established the world's first three-satellite constellation based on DRO in the Earth-Moon region of space.
China completes first satellite laser ranging experiment at lunar distances
China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.
The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.
Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.
Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.
The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.
"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.
China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth
