China preforms fly by of Toutatis asteroid. Named after an obscure Celtic and Gallic god, Toutatis is a yam-shaped space rock that measures 1.92 kilometers (1.2 miles) by 2.29 kilometers (1.4 miles) by 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles). It is 7 million kilometers from Earth.
An article appeared recently discussing China’s need to build a deep space monitoring station abroad because the existing network is “not capable of tracking deep space detectors around the clock.”
The according to Zhow Jianliang, Chief engineer of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, who stated:
“It is imperative to build a deep space monitoring station abroad in order to make up for the blind measurements and realize round the clock monitoring for future deep space missions.”
The article noted the names of two stations put into operation in 2012: 1) Kashgari, in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and 2) Jiamusi, in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.
These two stations helped control lunar probe Chang’e 2, which was launched on October 1, 2010 to fly by Touratis, an asteroid, roughly 7 million km away from Earth on December 13, 2012.
See video: China successful in lander probe on the moon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuGRzw5pUwc
The Chang’e 2 is currently about 65 million km from Earth and still being monitored by the two stations according to Zhou (source: www.chinamil.com.cn).
See video: China to set up space monitoring network in 2016 China Defense Mash up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_fL_QoHMRw
The report was filed under “other news” on the website sponsored by the PLA of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army – Defense Ministry on December 16, 2013 (but since has been removed for whatever reason) and seems to also hint at China’s military ambitions in space.
The article now appears on another People’s Daily website: http://english.people.com.cn/202936/8486337.html
Meanwhile the US military is planning to station a space radar and space telescope in Australia as part of a shift in focus to Asia, the two countries made public on Wednesday. The US will install a C-band radar so that Americans can better track space debris in the southern hemisphere as well as monitor Chinese space and missile launches. Australia also agreed to install a new space surveillance telescope built to track small objects at deep space altitudes about 35,000km high (source: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBMFcDk-VlI
See related article discussing the possible military significance of the China probe. Deep space mission for China probe http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45037848/#.UrAuGtK-qpd