BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's key technology news from the past week:
BEIDOU-3 SATELLITE SYSTEM
China will finish the construction of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3), with another two geostationary orbit satellites to be launched before June 2020, said BDS Spokesperson Ran Chengqi on Friday.
Friday marks the one year anniversary of China's BDS-3 system providing global service.
Ran said at a press conference of the State Council Information Office that with the BDS as the core, a more ubiquitous, integrated and intelligent navigation and timing system with comprehensive national positioning is scheduled to be established by 2035.
LONG MARCH-5
China launched the third Long March-5, the largest carrier rocket of the country, from Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on Friday evening.
The rocket, coded as Long March-5 Y3, blasted off from the coastal launch center at 8:45 p.m. (Beijing time), carrying the Shijian-20 technological experiment satellite weighing over eight tonnes, the heaviest and most advanced communications satellite of the country.
About 2,220 seconds later, the satellite was sent into its planned orbit.
AQUEOUS SODIUM-ION BATTERY
Chinese scientists have developed a high-voltage sodium-ion battery with a higher energy density and longer life cycle, assisted by aqueous electrolytes, according to a recent study published in the journal Advanced Materials.
The aqueous sodium-ion battery, regarded as an ideal static energy storage technology, has unique advantages owing to the abundant sodium resource reserve and the high safety of aqueous electrolytes.
