BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The scientific payloads for space breeding and other sci-tech experiments carried by China's first reusable and returnable satellite, Shijian-19, were delivered to Chinese and foreign users on Thursday.
At the payloads handover ceremony held by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in Beijing on Thursday, the CNSA and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation signed payload delivery certificates with domestic and international users, including those from Thailand and Pakistan.
Bian Zhigang, deputy head of CNSA, said the Shijian-19 mission fully leverages the advantages of the new generation retrievable space experiment platform, conducting space breeding experiments of about 1,000 species of germplasm resources, providing crucial support for the innovation of germplasm resources in China. The mission has also offered a valuable in-orbit validation opportunity for domestically produced components and raw materials.
The Shijian-19 satellite was sent into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sept. 27, and was successfully retrieved at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Oct. 11. ■