The 42nd China Antarctic Expedition Concluded Successfully
China's polar icebreaker Xuelong 2 returned to Shanghai on May 18, marking the successful completion of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition. The 199-day mission navigated harsh ice conditions, extreme weather and frigid temperatures while collecting over 20,000 samples and 3,400GB of data.
Significant Progress Achieved in the "Sun Chasing" Project
Chinese scientists are developing a space solar power station that could one day transmit energy to Earth or spacecraft. A major breakthrough has been achieved in the "Sun Chasing" (Zhuri) project, which has developed a wireless power transfer system for multiple moving targets. Tests showed 20.8 percent transmission efficiency over 100 meters (1,180W output), and the system successfully powered a drone flying at 30 km/h from a distance of 30 meters.
A Joint Mission for SMILE Satellite Launched
The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a joint mission between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Space Agency (ESA), was successfully launched on May 19 aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Following the launch, the satellite was confirmed to have entered its planned orbit, with its solar arrays successfully deployed and systems operating normally.
Humanoid Robots Conduct Live-streamed Package Sorting Operations
FigureAl has been livestreaming three Figure 03 humanoid robots-Bob, Frank, and Gary-sorting packages 24/7 in a U.S. logistics warehouse since May 14, operating nonstop without any shutdowns. The demo has run for five days, sparking online debate about automation in the workplace.