China plans to develop more 'space+' future industries: industry insiders

China plans to develop more "space+" future industries through collaboration involving multiple resources of commercial spacecraft launch and application, according to industry insiders attending the Commercial Spacecraft and Application Industry Chain Collaboration Action Conference.

At the Commercial Spacecraft and Application Industry Chain Collaboration Action Conference held in Shanghai on Thursday, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) released major supply and demand information for China's commercial aerospace sector in the next five years.

As the primary state-owned contractor for the Chinese space program, the CASC said it will plan and promote development in new fields including space tourism, digital-intelligent space infrastructure, space resource utilization, and space traffic management, aiming to develop more "space+" application scenarios during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Among the over 400 guests attending the meeting were representatives from research institutes, financial institutions and companies from all aspects of the commercial aerospace industry chain such as rocket and satellite manufacturing, and application scenarios.

"We are focusing more on the release of supply and demand information, which is actually crucial for the collaborative development of the entire industrial chain. We want to make some contributions and the entire company is currently making strategic arrangements in this regard," said a company representative at the meeting.

"We mainly focus on rocket and satellite manufacturing, and the export of the products," said another meeting attendee.

China will basically complete the low-Earth orbit constellation and see gradual improvement of reusable technology, according to a vision report on the development of China's commercial aerospace industry for the 2026-2030 period released at the meeting.

Communication signals will fully cover remote areas and the Tiantong and BeiDou terminals will serve communication and navigation for areas in oceans and deserts, said the report.

China is advancing its satellite capabilities with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) for global positioning and the Tiantong-1 satellite system for mobile telecommunications.

China plans to develop more 'space+' future industries: industry insiders

Israel will reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday, an Israeli government-affiliated body announced in a statement on Friday.

Israel's office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said in the statement that exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing "will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission."

In addition to initial identification and screening at the Rafah crossing by the European Union mission, the body said, an "additional screening and identification process" will be conducted at a designated corridor, operated by the Israeli military.

The move is part of a U.S.-proposed Gaza ceasefire plan. Israel said last Sunday that it would reopen the Rafah crossing after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which was retrieved from Gaza earlier this week.

According to Israel's official data, some 42,000 Gazans left the strip during the war, the vast majority of them patients seeking medical treatment abroad or dual citizens.

Located at the southernmost tip of Gaza, the Rafah crossing is a vital entry point for people and humanitarian aid into and out of the enclave. Since May 2024, when Israel occupied Rafah, the crossing has remained largely closed, even with the latest ceasefire in place.

Israel says Rafah crossing to reopen Sunday for pedestrians in both directions