Andrew Jones
@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social
Freelance journalist mainly tracking Chinese space activities. Correspondent at SpaceNews, also bylines at Spacedotcom, IEEE Spectrum and more.
This will be a very visible retrenchment of the UK for international science and space audiences. Also of note is the UK’s withdrawal of contributions from the Hawai’i and Chile telescopes.
Glen O'Hara@gsoh31.bsky.social · last wk.The UK's whole science, research and universities 'strategy' is basically 'drive the country off a cliff'. Not even worth arguing about any more. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Me speculating that this could be another example of a "larger trend toward inspector satellites and an increased interest in having strong situational awareness of activities and hardware in GEO" spacenews.com/chinas-shiji...
China’s Shijian-31 satellite is sweeping GEO using a unique orbit
China’s Shijian-31 satellite is sweeping GEO using a unique orbit A classified satellite launched by China in June is operating in a creative orbit, giving it a unique vantage point over the geostatio...
spacenews.com
Looks like there's a NOTAM out indicating that the launch window for the Chang'e-7 lunar south polar landing mission opens at 0000 UTC August 24. Windows of 0000-0400 running through August 31.
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · 3w agoThe Long March 5 rocket to launch the Chang'e-7 lunar south polar landing mission has arrived at Wenchang spaceport. Launch could occur around late August. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kBXwck7GNe...
Former CNSA director Ma Xingrui expelled from Communist Party. apnews.com/article/chin...
China expels Politburo member Ma Xingrui in Xi’s anti-corruption campaign
A senior official has been expelled from China's ruling Communist Party, state media said Tuesday, as part of leader Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.
apnews.com
The Long March 5 rocket to launch the Chang'e-7 lunar south polar landing mission has arrived at Wenchang spaceport. Launch could occur around late August. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kBXwck7GNe...
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · 4mo agoThe Chang'e-7 spacecraft arrived at Wenchang spaceport on April 9. The robotic lunar south pole landing mission will be prepared for launch for the second half of 2026, according to CMSEO. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/B8Hh_lCU43...
CASC confirms orbit was successfully achieved (unnamed satellite) and plans to reuse the first stage by the end of the year. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cNqvOWxkwm...
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · 4w agoThis is big: China just launched the Long March 10B and caught the first stage out at sea with a net recovery system. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8VpyAMwNaV...
Tianwen-2 on HGA today and high data rate, likely more pictures and science data is coming...
And another new asteroid! Here's Torifune, captured during yesterday's flyby by Hayabusa2. www.jaxa.jp/press/2026/0...
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.Tianwen-2 had arrived. Here's asteroid Kamo'oalewa seen from 20 km away www.xinhuanet.com/20260706/eb8...
This is the image I've been waiting for! This is Earth's current quasi moon! There is a chance, this is a chunk of Moon that was cast off during an asteroid impact. YAY <insert muppet flail gif>
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.Tianwen-2 had arrived. Here's asteroid Kamo'oalewa seen from 20 km away www.xinhuanet.com/20260706/eb8...
Tianwen-2 had arrived. Here's asteroid Kamo'oalewa seen from 20 km away www.xinhuanet.com/20260706/eb8...
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.Tianwen-2 sample return mission is expected to arrive at the near Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa tomorrow (July 4) at a distance of ~20 kilometres. Hopefully we'll also see the first images of the asteroid very soon. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/97RjX0XCVs...
Launch 47: A Long March 8A lifted off at 1343 UTC today from Hainan commercial launch centre, sending the Qianfan polar group 15 LEO comms satellites into orbit. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Mp7Spec1o2...
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.This was China's 46th launch of 2026, following the Long March 4B launch of Haiyang-2E from Jiuquan on July 1.
Hayabusa2 is set to pass within 1 km of the centre of asteroid Torifune in ~80 minutes (0930 UTC, 0530 Eastern). Live stream: www.youtube.com/live/hVC3KP3...
【サイマル配信】小惑星探査機「はやぶさ2」による小惑星トリフネ・フライバイのライブ中継
YouTube video by JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構
youtube.com
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.We're about to discover some new small worlds: Tianwen-2 arriving at Kamo'oalewa on July 4, Hayabusa2 blasting past asteroid Torifune on July 5. www.space.com/astronomy/as...
This was China's 46th launch of 2026, following the Long March 4B launch of Haiyang-2E from Jiuquan on July 1.
Jonathan McDowell@planet4589.bsky.social · last mo.Launch at 0930 UTC Jul 4 of Qianfan Jigui Group 13 on a Chang Zheng 6A from Taiyuan
On July 4, Tianwen-2 is expected to approach within 20 km of Kamoʻoalewa, marking the start of the mission's most critical phase after a 13-month journey from its May 2025 launch. Doppler measurements from our 20m Bochum antenna indicate no or only small orbit adjustments during the last few day.
AMSAT-DL@amsat-dl.org · last mo.Not much happened on the Tianwen-2 asteroid mission during last week, while our radome is cleaned...
JWST has taken a look at Kamo'oalewa, and we've got an interesting paper on this just in time. Fast rotator asteroid could be ~18m in diameter (ground-based estimates 40-100m), and hints that it's more like a rare E-type asteroid than a chunk of the Moon. arxiv.org/abs/2606.24017
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.Tianwen-2 sample return mission is expected to arrive at the near Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa tomorrow (July 4) at a distance of ~20 kilometres. Hopefully we'll also see the first images of the asteroid very soon. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/97RjX0XCVs...
Liaoning province wants to establish a commercial marine rocket launch base, following the example of Shandong's Haiyang sea launch setup. www.ln.gov.cn/web/zwgkx/zf... via mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ExPOjuvJ5J...
We're about to discover some new small worlds: Tianwen-2 arriving at Kamo'oalewa on July 4, Hayabusa2 blasting past asteroid Torifune on July 5. www.space.com/astronomy/as...
Japanese probe set for super-close flyby on July 5: 'We're going to discover another beast to put in the zoo of asteroids'
"This is one of the closest asteroid encounters ever attempted by a mission of this class."
space.com
Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.social · last mo.Tianwen-2 sample return mission is expected to arrive at the near Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa tomorrow (July 4) at a distance of ~20 kilometres. Hopefully we'll also see the first images of the asteroid very soon. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/97RjX0XCVs...
Tianwen-2 sample return mission is expected to arrive at the near Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa tomorrow (July 4) at a distance of ~20 kilometres. Hopefully we'll also see the first images of the asteroid very soon. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/97RjX0XCVs...
SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.social · 2mo agoTianwen-2 makes series of burns on approach to asteroid, according to radio tracking China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has carried out a series of small propulsive maneuvers following a main burn June 7, setting up an asteroid rendezvous in July....
iSpace completed sea training for its recovery barge using a mock Hyperbola-3 first stage in mid-late June in waters off Yangjiang, Guangdong province. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/R6yxSYx9Yj...
Second Zhuque-3 launch and first stage recovery attempt is in the post.
Qingzhou-1 cargo spacecraft to be launched in early 2027, docking with Tiangong space station. Results from experimental Qingzhou-1 launch released. www.cas.cn/cm/202606/t2...
Mengzhou crew spacecraft airdrop test out of a Y-20 transport aircraft. The first orbital flight for Mengzhou could come later this year on the Long March 10A.
Tiangong expansion: China to launch the Xuntian space telescope to co-orbit with Tiangong in 2027. Further plans to expand the space station from T-shape to X or "干" shape (from 3 to 6 modules), facilitated by launch of 20-tonne multi-function module. content-static.cctvnews.cctv.com/snow-book/in...
Tsinghua University students are building the $2.8M smallsat START mission to intercept asteroid Apophis at 7 km. START to launch in early 2028 as a rideshare payload on a Zhuque-3, then raising to 31,600 km orbit. Will make flyby during peak tidal-stress window at 8.74 km/s.
SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.social · 2mo agoChinese university-led mission to study asteroid Apophis during close encounter with Earth A spacecraft developed by Tsinghua University is set to join international missions to study the asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in 2029....
