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CHINA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and
Technology
People's Republic of China
N0.318 January 10,2003
IN THIS ISSUE
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*
China's S and T Strength Stabilized
* China's
Shenzhou IV Called Success
* Shenzhou IV Safely
Returned
* China's Spacecraft Landing System
Developed
* Accurate Space Positioning
*
China's Basic Study Website
* China's First Fuel
Batter AutoSuper
I
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SPECIAL
ISSUES
China's S and T Strength Stabilized
In 2002, China's S and T competitiveness
ranked the 25th place in the world. Viewed from its ratings
in the last few years, China basically wanders between the
25-28th places, which have reflected China's stable S and T
development in the world. The said finding is the conclusion
reached by the Annual Report of International
Competitiveness prepared by China Science and Technology R
and D Promotion Center. The Report studied the annual
reports since 1986 on the economic competitiveness of major
countries published by the Switzerland based Lausanne
International Institute of Management and Development.
Mainland China was officially listed as an evaluation target
from 1994 and the countries and regions that were placed
under the evaluations by the Institute in 2002 reached 49 in
number.
The Center has, through the analysis
and evaluation of the individual indicators, concluded that
China's data have shown a relatively advanced rating in
terms of overall strength but with its average indicators
and overall evaluation level in rather a rear position,
which is the common phenomenon shared by most large
developing nations. For example, China has seen a fast
growth of its R and D budget from the 19th place in 1996 to
the 9th in 2002, while its per capita R and D budget
deploring its last but six place (43rd). In addition,
China's per capita R and D budget growth is lower than the
countries that are close to China in ranking. In 1999-
China's per capita R and D budget ranked the 40th place and
in 2002 it went down to 43rd place. China's S and T human
resources have suffered similar pattern retreating from the
second place in terms of its total S and T personnel number
to the 34th place when coming to per capita term.
China's Shenzhou IV Called Success
On the early morning of December 30, 2002,
China's Shenzhou ('Divine Vessel') IV was sent into space
orbit by a Long March II F rocket. Compared with the
previous three runs of the series testing flights, Shenzhou
IV aims at working on a most comprehensive unmanned flight
experiment. Numerous major systems such as control and
communication, spacecraft and carrier rocket, launching
site, major landing site and back-up landing site,
astronauts and both land and sea based rescue system are
supposed to stand their tests and verification.
The spacecraft has been modified to make it a
more comfortable place for astronauts to live and work in.
In addition, the spacecraft will work on a number of space
experiments, astronaut system, spacecraft environment
control and life supporting sub-systems, and further verify
environmental parameters for manned spacecraft. It was
briefed that a number of land and sea emergency rescue zones
were set up, and rescue workers conducted trial rescue
operations for manned flights.
Shenzhou IV
Safely Returned
At 19:16, January 5, 2003,
Beijing local time, Shenzhou IV made its accurate landing in
the middle part of Inner Mongolia after fulfilling its
prescribed space science and technology experiments and
mission. The landing has heralded the complete success of
China's fourth experimental flight of its spacecraft.
Launched on early morning of December 30,
2002, the spacecraft made 108 rounds of journey surrounding
the earth in its scheduled 6-day-and-18-hour flight. In the
course of the experimental flight, four space flight
measuring vessels distributed over three oceans and other
relevant ground stations exercised their consecutive
tracking, measuring and control over the spacecraft under
the unified instructions of Beijing based Space Commanding
and Control Center. The spacecraft successfully performed a
hundred and more actions such as opening solar cell board,
in-orbit movement and attitude adjusting while making its
orbit changed once and stilling itself paused in the orbit
for twice.
Shenzhou IV is China's third
prototype for unmanned spacecraft. It has the technical
design exactly identical to that of the manned spacecraft,
though without man's presence in this flight. Many major
systems for manned flights such as the application system,
the astronaut system, and the environment control and life
supporting system were part of this experimental flight. The
spacecraft accomplished a number of space studies on ground
observation, material science, life science, space astronomy
and space environment exploration.
In the
meantime, Chinese astronaut candidates entered the
spacecraft for a physical feel before the launch. The
spacecraft demonstrated smooth performance of its onboard
instruments and equipment and collected rich experimental
and scientific data.
China's Unique Space
Medical Study
Mr. Su Shuangning, head in
charge of the astronaut system under China's manned space
flight project expressed recently that so far China has
established its own manned space flight related medical
engineering system with the research level and major
technical capacity reaching the world first level, enjoying
unique advantages.
While working on space
related medical studies, Chinese scientists have
consistently taken spacecraft environment and astronauts as
a whole by linking astronauts' physical and mental health
with engineering effects. For example, scientists have made
the size of the onboard instruments, the color of the
illumination system and the working and living facilities
agreeable to astronauts' personal demands, which will not
only make astronauts feel comfortable to work but will also
improve their working efficiency, producing positive effects
on ensuring astronauts' mental and physical health and
improving the flight safety.
Chinese space
medical engineering researchers have also tried Chinese
traditional medicines in readjusting astronauts' blood
circulation system in their training. The clinic tests have
shown that traditional medicines are of apparent effects on
improving astronauts' cardio-cerebral system, brain nerve
system, digestion system and emotion. In the meantime,
Chinese scientists studied the effects of traditional
medicines on resisting the changes in osteoblast
microstructures under gravity loss environment, which has
attracted the attention of international community in the
field.
Chinese scientists have also developed
space food and the onboard environment control and life
supporting system on their own. They have made physiological
studies and analysis under gravity loss environment and
achieved unique findings. It is briefed that Chinese
scientists have found the solutions to the collection,
transmission and processing of onboard astronauts'
physiological data and information, which enable people in
the ground station to keep watch of astronauts' health
conditions in orbit.
China's Spacecraft
Landing System Developed
Zhao Jun, head in
charge of the landing system under China's manned space
flight project disclosed recently that China has basically
worked out its spacecraft landing system, which is able to
ensure the timely discovering and retrieving of the returned
cabin with proven rescuing capability for landing
astronauts.
In the fourth launch of its
Shenzhou spacecraft, China for the first time put into
operation the land and sea based emergency rescuer searching
sub-system during the spacecraft ascending phase and
deployed rescuing lifeboats and helicopters over the marine
rescuing zone. In addition, the spacecraft was equipped with
a sophisticated return cabin that is able to drift over the
sea surface for rescue under rough sea conditions.
Accurate Space Positioning
As is
disclosed by Shanghai Observatory of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, the distance measuring data obtained by the latest
flight of the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou series have
reached a high accuracy at one centimeter level, a great
improvement of 1000 times in accuracy against its previous
records. It is briefed that Chinese scientists installed the
so-called space mirror, a laser reflector of a diameter of
20cm and a weight of 0.8 kg at the spacecraft's base.
The reflector works on the principle that an
accurate satellite measurement can be obtained through
calculating the round trip time from the ground laser
impulse to the onboard laser reflector. With the help of the
onboard GPS system and the S-band speed and distance
measuring devices, Chinese scientists have obtained accurate
data on the satellite's position and orbit.
New Results from Space Plant Experiment
The researchers of Shanghai Institute of Plant
Physiological and Ecological Research subordinated to the
Chinese Academy of Sciences recently told reporters that
China's Shenzhou IV Spacecraft had made experiments on plant
cell electrofusion with its onboard experimental device for
carrying out the researches in life science. The experiment
result has shown that the target cells have recorded a 10%
electrofusion, or 10 times higher than those of the ground
comparison group with a cell survival rate reaching 50% and
more, also 15% better than the ground group.
The experiment has resulted in the survival of
thousands electrofused plant cells that are now staying in
brooder for further culturing. Scientists
expressed that these cells would grow out roots and leaves
in 3 months. By that time people can make the judgment
whether or not they are the products of such electrofusion
through molecular and biological means.
The
cell electrofusion experiment is a project that Chinese
scientists have been working on to produce new species. Up
to date China has developed relatively mature ground cell
electrofusion techniques and worked out the plants produced
by two electrofused tobaccos. The new tobacco electrofusion
experiment made in the spacecraft will expect the birth of
new tobacco plants in about six months and by that time the
results of this comparison study will be unveiled.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The World First New Condenser
On December 26, 2002, the Chinese National
Natural Science Foundation disclosed that on the basis of
their 15-year painstaking efforts, Prof. Wu Yuyuan of Xi'an
Jiaotong University and others had landed major
breakthroughs in the theoretical study of the heat
transmission mechanism of condenser and for the first time
in the world discovered the new mechanism of cycle-like flow
boiling heat enhancement and new mechanism of disorderly
flow fluid film condensing heat transmission enhancement. On
the basis of these new theories, Prof. Wu and others
invented the new condenser evaporator with cycle-like flow,
the first of its kind in the world. The new condenser
evaporator designed under the new heat transmission
mechanism has recorded a boiling heat transmission
coefficient 59 times higher than that rendered by regular
pipe-array heat exchangers with the lowest temperature
difference in heat transmission among similar products in
the world. With an improved design indicator by 50% against
similar products both at home and abroad, the finding was
granted with the Second Prize of National Technology
Invention Award for 2001.
China's First
Agrochemical Roadmap
On January 12, 2003, the
Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources announced that
Zhejiang Province, the province who has made the first
agricultural geological environment survey at provincial
level in the country, has worked out China's first regional
chemical element distribution chart. The nationwide chemical
element distribution chart that is in the process of
preparation at present will constitute an important
scientific evidence for the future agricultural planning of
the nation.
As of the end of 2002, Zhejiang
Province had completed the sampling over an area of
10,000km2 in its northern section and obtained 16,
681 soil samples. The scientists in the Province have made
analysis of the total amount of chemical elements, their
effective status and organic pollutants and obtained 380,000
analyzing data. With the help of the computer technology,
they have worked out the geochemical chart composed of 130
smaller regional charts, the first of its kind serving
agricultural purpose in Chinese history.
The
element chart has given a clear picture of the distribution
of 52 chemical elements over the northern section of the
Province. In addition, it marked out the sites that are
polluted by heavy metals and DDT. Experts expressed that
people may by simply clicking the chart get access to
multiple indictor based environment evaluation, prediction
for element accumulation as well as current distribution of
surface crops. With the help of the chart, people can easily
tell whether or not a crop is suitable to grow in an area
they desire.
The chart also sets off the alarm
for heavy metal pollution and apparently accelerated
accumulation of hazardous elements. The chart divided the
Province into 6 regions in terms of their soil quality as
shown by element data. It is briefed that the distribution
and volume of 52 elements in the soil have a decisive impact
on crops' growth. The chart has for the first time given a
clear illustration of the geochemical background of the
northern section of the Province and its geochemical
properties, which provides the latest data and scientific
evidence for agricultural production planning and studies of
agricultural produces and farming environment.
China's Basic Study Website
On
January 10, 2003, a website devoted to China's basic
scientific studies (www.br.gov.cn) was put into operation.
Sponsored by the Dept. of Basic Studies of the Chinese
Ministry of Science and Technology, the website provides
information from governmental sources on the latest
developments of China's basic studies, human resources,
infrastructures construction and international cooperation
in the field. Up to date, the website has opened nearly 20
columns such as policies and regulations, administrative
affairs guidance, planning, disciplinary development and
basic study review. In addition the website is
supposed to provide the following services: 1) provide
information support for S and T authorities' management and
decision-making process, while supporting online S and T
planning, projects and human resources management, improving
the management and decision-making level in the field of
basic studies and promoting the development of e-government;
2) provide scientists with status, progress and policies of
Chinese basic studies and the latest development of the
basic studies all over the world, promoting information
distribution and utilization and academic exchanges in the
field of basic studies and 3)demonstrate the achievements
and progresses of China's basic studies before the public
and make it a window through which popular scientific
knowledge can be diffused.
China's First Fuel
Batter AutoSuper I
On January 11, 2003,
a futurist prototype car named Super I made its smooth debut
on the campus of Tongji University. Driven by hydrogen fuel
battery, the car only discharges purified water without any
tail gas that may harm the environment.Electric motor
vehicle is one of the most important S and T projects listed
by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology in the
10th Five-Year Plan period. Of this dedicated project, fuel
battery car enjoys the top priority as its development will
lead to a brand new revolution in the world car
manufacturing industry.
At the end of 2001,
the fuel battery car development project was assigned to a
joint R and D group made up of a dozen of enterprises,
universities and research institutions in Shanghai including
Shanghai Auto and Tongji University. A fuel battery auto
system company was also created for the purpose. It is
briefed that Super I has passed the annual evaluation
organized by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology
on major dedicated projects with its technical indicators
reaching the desired requirements. The fuel battery car is
scheduled to make its appearance before the world in Beijing
Olympic Game in 2008 and Shanghai World Expo in 2010.
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