Scientific achievements of China's Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle released

The team for China's newly launched Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle released the first batch of scientific and engineering results on Wednesday.

The test flight focused on key technology verification, low-cost design and exploration, and expanded missions, successfully achieving all its objectives and laying a solid foundation for the development of the formal Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, according to the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS).

The test vehicle was launched into orbit on March 30 aboard a Lijian-2 Y1 carrier rocket. Developed by the IAMCAS, the vehicle, with a total mass of 4.2 tons, carries one ton of scientific payloads, and has a three-year in-orbit operational life.

Since its launch, this vehicle has completed flight control tests and actively raised its orbit to 600 km, officially entering its long-term operational phase, where it is conducting key platform technology verification, stability tests and extended mission trials.

"The Qingzhou cargo spacecraft involved many key technologies in its development. Many of these technologies have been directly verified in space, which better ensures the reliability of the R and D of our formal spacecraft," said Chang Liang, chief designer of Qingzhou cargo spacecraft.

This test flight has not only provided critical data for the development of the formal Qingzhou cargo spacecraft and explored new models for efficient and reliable development, but has also opened viable paths for low-cost, commercial space operations and cooperation.

The Qingzhou cargo spacecraft will continue to undergo iterative optimization, striving to build a reliable bridge for cargo transport between Earth and space, promoting high-quality development of China's commercial space sector, the IAMCAS said.

"Our whole team is now intensively carrying out the work to put the formal spacecraft into production. It is mainly to form a matching tandem with the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, one larger, one smaller, to provide cargo service support for China's space station," said Shu Rong, chief commander of Qingzhou cargo spacecraft.

Scientific achievements of China's Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle released

Scientific achievements of China's Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle released

Scientific achievements of China's Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle released

The ripple effects of tensions in the Middle East have now spread to the major eastern Chinese trading hub of Yiwu, a city famously known as "the world's supermarket," as companies and traders try to work around the disruption and rely on strong logistics networks across the region to keep business moving.

The Yiwu International Trade Market has become an important center for foreign trade, housing nearly 80,000 booths offering over two million types of commodities. However, the recent situation brought by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the disruption it has caused to both shipping transport and air cargo is forcing some traders to take steps to mitigate the impact.

Zhang Shidan, a plastic household goods trader in Yiwu, said her company has been left with no choice but to raise product prices as transportation and insurance costs have surged due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

"We will adjust prices after the stocks of most products run out. The prices are expected to rise by 10 percent," Zhang said.

The travel turmoil brought by the conflict has also created a headache for customers from the region who are trying to reach Yiwu themselves.

"We flew from Lebanon to Egypt, from Egypt to Dubai, from Dubai to Hangzhou. It's a long time. Because in [the main] Lebanon airport, only one company can fly -- a Middle East company -- so its expensive," said Heysam Yassine, a Lebanese buyer.

While making the trip from the Middle East to Yiwu has become more difficult, logistics companies with well-established supply chain networks across the region are helping to cushion the impact on trade and working to distribute goods as best as they can.

"We have 28 warehouses across 12 countries in the Middle East, so we have a relatively complete layout in the region," said Chen Fangfang, general manager of Safe Way Express Cargo, a logistics and cargo shipping firm.

Last year, the total value of Yiwu's exports reached over 100 billion U.S. dollars, with more than 14 billion U.S. dollars going to Middle Eastern markets.

Traders in Yiwu look to work around Middle East disruption, rely on strong logistics networks