BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) — The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.
LUNAR SAMPLE
China has announced a list of research institutions that are set to receive the fourth batch of lunar samples brought back by the country’s Chang’e-5 mission.
The samples, which weigh 8.768 grams, will be distributed to scientists at 11 research institutions, according to a notice issued by the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.
The Chang’e-5 probe returned to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020, having retrieved a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mainly rocks and soil from the Moon’s surface.
SHENZHOU-13 RETURN CAPSULE
On Tuesday, China opened the return capsule of the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship which carried three astronauts back to Earth on April 16, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
Items carried by the spacecraft, including crop seeds, 8K high-definition memory card storing images and videos taken by the astronauts in orbit, commemorative stamps, and paintings by Hong Kong teenagers, were taken out from the return capsule.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
Pony.ai, a self-driving start-up in the southern city of Guangzhou, has become the first entity of its kind in China to receive a taxi license.
Beginning in May, the license allows the company to operate 100 autonomous vehicles as taxis in the city’s Nansha District over an area of more than 800 square km, the company said. It also has plans in the works to launch similar services in two other large Chinese cities next year.
