The probe, which focuses on energy, agriculture, health, will give a boost to the basic research on bio-engineering, new materials and life sciences, in addition to pushing forward the development of China's research on microgravity and space life sciences.
SATELLITE TECHNOLOGIES
The success of the SJ-10 mission helped verify a series of core technologies of the retrievable satellites, broadening the way for such satellites to expand its role in space science, according to Zhao.
Tang Bochang, general designer of the SJ-10 mission who has long been committed to retrievable satellite development, said that with improved carrying and supporting capabilities and microgravity environment, the SJ-10 model will become China's new generation of scientific experiment platform featuring safer retrieving, capability for medium and long-term on-orbit experiments, greater flexibility and lower cost.
Tang said Chinese scientists will move on to develop the retrievable spacecraft to achieve better performance in energy, control, data management, structure and thermal control.
Qiu Jiawen, chief commander of SJ-10, said that unlike its predecessors, the landing area for SJ-10 was designated in Siziwang Banner, out of consideration of easier recovery and smaller risk for residents' safety.
China is the world's third country to obtain the retrievable satellites technology. Over the last 40 years, China has developed three generations of retrievable satellites in six models for land survey, surveying and mapping, space breeding and other uses.
"Techniques such as thermal protection during reentry, posture control, and soft landing for recovery are still exclusively monopolized by China and very few other countries," Tang said.
Zhao said retrievable satellite has its unique advantages as a space scientific experiment platform.
Before SJ-10, China has used such spacecraft to complete at least 13 space life science experiments, seven experiments for space material processing as well as those regarding space microgravity measuring, space radiation dose measuring and space cell culture.
