BEIJING: Two Chinese lunar missions will be delayed by the failed launch of a powerful rocket in July, a state-run newspaper said, in a setback for the country’s ambitious space program.
Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar forays into space as a symbol of China’s rise and the success of the Communist Party in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.
Officials are still investigating why the Long March-5 Y2 rocket malfunctioned on July 2, the Science and Technology Daily reported this week, citing Tian Yulong, secretary-general of the China National Space Administration.
It was China’s second heavy-lift rocket and was designed to carry communication satellites into orbit. Authorities have not given any details about the incident.
The failure means the launches of lunar probes Chang’e-5, originally scheduled to collect samples from the moon in the second half of 2017, and Chang’e-4, due to land on the dark side of the moon in 2018, will both have to be revised.
New launch dates for the probes will be announced at the end of this year, Tian said.
A core module for the construction of China’s space station was also set to be blasted into space in 2018 but this will be delayed to 2019, Tian said Tuesday at the 68th International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia.
China, which hopes to one day send humans to the moon, joined the United States and Soviet Union as the only nations to land on the Earth’s natural satellite in 2013, when its lunar rover Yutu embarked on a 31-month mission beset by mechanical troubles.
The following year the country completed its first return mission to the moon, with an unmanned probe landing successfully back on Earth.
The Long March-5 Y2 had taken off in July with the Shijian-18 experimental communications satellite (7.5 tons), which it was supposed to put into orbit.
The satellite would have provided communications services over China’s territory — boosting Internet access and providing access to more television channels.
Its failure followed successful space missions, including the June launch of the Long March-4B, China’s first X-ray space telescope, to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts.
In April, the country’s first cargo spacecraft completed its docking with an orbiting space lab — a key development toward China’s goal of having its own crewed space station by 2022.
China is also aiming to launch six rovers to Mars in 2020.
Chinese moon missions delayed by rocket failure: report
Chinese moon missions delayed by rocket failure: report
Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable
- iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7
- Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options
STOCKHOLM: Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen.”
The new rules require mobile software makers to show the choice screen where users can select a browser, search engine and virtual assistant as they set up their phones, which earlier came with preferred options from Apple and Google.
In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance.
The company said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
It also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where a user will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari. Only Settings and Phone apps would not be deletable.
