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The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Conspiracy theorists spot baffling ‘proof' new Space Station clip is FAKE & say: ‘They are NOT in zero gravity'
CONSPIRACY theorists have claimed that a space station video is fake - because of a glass of water. Online sceptics blasted a video of China's Tiangong Space Station which showed a glass of water in zero gravity behaving in a so-called unnatural manner. 3 3 In the viral footage, three astronauts are seen standing on board the station, with a glass of water on a table to their left. The glass and the water inside it appear to be completely still - despite the microgravity environment. Tin foil hat-wearing social media users poured out online - slamming the "unbelievable" footage and calling the whole thing a stunt. Many speculated that water's behaviour on a space station should see the liquid rising into spheres and floating around the room. Rather than stay in its glass, the water should be able to fly around the room in bubbles just like in the movies, baffled theorists said. One confused user said on X: "Call me crazy but if I was orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph in Zero Gravity surrounded by complex computers…I probably wouldn't risk an unconcealed glass of water resting on the table." Another suggested: "The water wouldn't stay in the glass. It would be floating." Although the online hysteria sent many conspiracy theorists into a debunking frenzy - there is actually a simple explanation for the water's seemingly unnatural behaviour. But this didn't stop others jumping on the bandwagon, with another user saying: "That water should be floating around like bubbles." Scores of curious viewers came to the conclusion that the video must have been filmed on Earth. Incredible video shows how US will mine the MOON to help humans establish new home in space One user said: "Apparently they are not in zero gravity as water stays in the glass." Another weighed in: "Yep, it's fake. They are not in zero gravity." A third user even asked: "So, they're not in space?" Theorists were then sent down an even deeper rabbit hole after Elon Musk's Grok AI system started misinforming users in response to their questions. In one response, Musk's AI chatbot claimed: "Yes, water would float out of a glass in a space station due to microgravity." Still puzzling viewers, the video confused even more users who then seemingly lost their temper. One raged: "This is ridiculous. The water wouldn't stay in the glass. Why do they insist in surrounding us in a sea of lies?" Another blasted: "They are not in zero G it's an act. They are walking on an uneven surface to create a slight floating effect by they are still grounded." While another fumed: "At this stage I think they are doing it on purpose, to wake people up. "You can't tell them, you have to show them." However, there is a rational explanation for the water's behaviour in the video. The most important thing to note is that according to science, this is exactly how an open glass of water in microgravity should act. Space historian Jordan Bimm told AP: "Water molecules like to stick to glass and also to other water molecules more than they like to disperse in the air. "So if there is no external force, water remains in 'clumps' in the weightless environment, and in this case inside the glass." How does zero gravity affect water? by Harvey Geh Water is composed of slightly positive hydrogen atoms and slightly negative oxygen atoms. These pull towards each other, much like opposite ends of a magnet. In zero gravity, water can form into floating blobs that drift freely. But this effect also gives water a strong surface tension, which helps it stick to surfaces and hold its shape. The liquid sticks to surfaces like glass because water molecules naturally cling to each other and whatever they touch. When the surface tension kicks in, it acts like an invisible skin that keeps the water in a neat, round shape. With no gravity to pull it down, tipping a glass won't make the water move. That's why astronauts use sealed pouches and straws to drink, instead of open containers. Water does not float out of glasses in space because of how its molecules behave in microgravity. The molecules in water are strongly attracted to each other and to the glass, which keeps the liquid clumped together and stuck to the inside of the cup. This effect, known as surface tension, means the water can sit still and appear as if it's behaving normally — even without gravity holding it down. In fact, astronauts often struggle to pour liquids in space. That is why they are usually seen drinking from squeezable pouches and using straws, not open containers. It can actually be very hard or even impossible to get water out of an open container in microgravity. The glass of water seen in the video was part of a lesson. The clip was taken from a broadcast called Tiangong Class, where Chinese astronauts perform science demos for schoolkids back on Earth. In this case, they were showing how buoyancy works differently in space, using water and a ping-pong ball to explain the science. Another video posted on Chinese site Weibo shows one astronaut carefully filling the same glass with a straw before carefully sticking it to the table with Velcro. One sharp-eyed viewer hit back at the theorists saying: 'It's not like you couldn't just spend five minutes researching this stuff.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Conspiracy theories ignite online as China posts a video of a glass of water on the Tiangong Space Station - as sceptics claim it seems 'fully subjected to gravity'
From the moon landings to Katy Perry 's trip to space, conspiracy theorists are obsessed with proving that humans have never really left the planet. Now, internet-dwelling theorists have latched on to a strange new video which shows a glass of water on China 's Tiangong Space Station. In the video, an open glass of water appears to stand, undisturbed, on a table - despite the microgravity environment. The clip has sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzy, with one claiming that the glass seemed to be 'fully subjected to gravity'. Social media users' suspicions stem from the fact that videos from space typically show water floating freely in spheres rather than inside containers. This has led many people to assume that water could not possibly stay inside an open container outside of Earth's gravitational pull. On X, one confused commenter wrote: 'Call me crazy but if I was orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph in Zero Gravity surrounded by complex computers...I probably wouldn't risk an unconcealed glass of water resting on the table.' Despite the widespread histeria, there's a simple explanation for the glass of water. Commenters were certain that the water could not stay in the glass in microgravity and that it should be floating away Despite their beliefs that humans have not been to space, many conspiracy theorists were certain they knew what would happen to an open glass of water in microgravity. 'The water wouldn't stay in the glass. It would be floating,' one user claimed. Another wrote: 'The water wouldn't stay in the glass. It would be floating.' And one added: 'That water should be floating around like bubbles.' For many social media users, this led to the conclusion that the video must have been filmed within the pull of Earth's gravity rather than out in orbit. 'Apparently they are not in zero gravity as water stays in the glass,' one commenter wrote. Another chimed in: 'Yep, it's fake. They are not in zero gravity. One asked: 'So, they're not in space?' The presence of the mysterious water glass was enough to convince some commenters that the video had been faked One conspiracy theorist ranted that the whole space station was 'an act' produced by 'walking on an uneven surface' The situation was not helped when Elon Musk's AI, Grok, started to offer misleading information in response to user's questioning. In one response the AI declared: 'Yes, water would float out of a glass in a space station due to microgravity.' Meanwhile, other commenters were launched even deeper into the world of conspiracy theories as they puzzled over why the astronauts might not really be in space. A commenter fumed: 'This is ridiculous. The water wouldn't stay in the glass. Why do they insist in surrounding us in a sea of lies?' Another wrote: 'They are not in zero G it's an act. They are walking on an uneven surface to create a slight floating effect by they are still grounded.' And one conspiratorially-minded commenter added: 'At this stage I think they are doing it on purpose, to wake people up. You can't tell them, you have to show them.' However, there is a rational explanation for everything that can be seen in the video. The most important thing to note is that this is exactly how an open glass of water in microgravity should behave. Jordan Bimm, a postdoctoral researcher and space historian at the University of Chicago, told AP: 'Water molecules like to stick to glass and also to other water molecules more than they like to disperse in the air. 'So if there is no external force, water remains in "clumps" in the weightless environment, and in this case inside the glass.' Water is made of slightly positive hydrogen atoms and slightly negative oxygen atoms, which pull towards each other like opposite ends of a magnet. This gives water a very strong surface tension which makes it stick to the surface and hold its shape despite outside forces. Mr Bimm adds that this 'also works to help maintain the static shape and presents the illusion of how water would act on the ground.' So, when you place water inside a glass in zero gravity it will stick to the inside walls and look just like it would on Earth. In fact, as European Space Agency (ESA) Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrated in a video, it can be almost impossible to get water out of an open container in microgravity. This is why astronauts need to use squeezable bags and straws to drink. A separate video, shared by the China Manned Space Agency, shows how the crew had to carefully fill the glass using a straw. The caption reads: 'Preparing for class in space is not easy!' As for why there would be an open glass of water on Tiangong despite the apparent safety risk, this is clear from the context of the video. As the video clearly shows, this clip has been taken from a broadcast called 'Tiangong class' - a project in which Chinese taikonauts demonstrate science experiments to children back on Earth. As the full broadcast reveals, this glass was being used in a demonstration to show how buoyancy works differently in space by suspending a ping-pong ball in water. A separate video posted to the Chinese social media platform Weibo, shows one of the astronauts painstakingly filling the glass using a straw before carefully setting it on the table with velcro. These details were not lost on some astute commenters, with one writing: 'That's called physics and that's surface tension that allows the water to stay as it is in the glass, the glass itself is fixed in place. Another joked: 'It's not like you couldn't just spend five minutes researching this stuff.' TIMELINE OF CHINESE SPACE MILESTONES July 19, 1964: China took its first official step into space, launching and recovering an experimental biological rocket carrying white mice. April 24, 1970: The first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1, was launched from the Jiuquan launch centre in the northwestern province of Gansu. That made China the fifth country to send satellites into orbit, following the Soviet Union, the United States, France and Japan. Nov. 26, 1975: China launched its first recoverable satellite. Nov. 20, 1999: China launched its first unmanned spacecraft, the Shenzhou-1. Oct. 15, 2003: China became the third country after the United States and Russia to send a man into space with its own rocket. Astronaut Yang Liwei spent about 21 hours in space aboard the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft. Oct. 12, 2005: China sent two men on a five-day flight on its Shenzhou-6 spacecraft. Nov. 5, 2007: China's first lunar orbiter, Chang'e-1, entered the moon's orbit 12 days after takeoff. Sept. 25, 2008: China's third manned spacecraft, Shenzhou-7, was launched into space, where an astronaut clambered out of the spacecraft for the nation's first space walk. Oct. 1, 2010: China's second lunar exploration probe blasted off from a remote corner of the southwestern province of Sichuan. Sept. 29, 2011: The Tiangong-1, or 'Heavenly Palace 1', China's first space lab, was launched to carry out docking and orbiting experiments. Nov. 3, 2011: China carried out its first docking exercise between two unmanned spacecraft, the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and Tiangong-1 module, a key test to securing a long-term manned presence in space. Dec. 14, 2013: China landed an unmanned spacecraft on the moon in the first 'soft-landing' since 1976, joining the United States and the former Soviet Union in accomplishing the feat. Sept. 15, 2016:China launched its second experimental space laboratory, the Tiangong-2, part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. Jan. 3, 2019: The Chang'e-4 lunar probe, launched in December, touched down on the far side of the moon. Previous spacecraft have flown over the far side but not landed on it. June 23, 2020: China put into orbit its final Beidou satellite, completing a navigation network years in the making and setting the stage to challenge the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System (GPS). July 23, 2020: China launched an unmanned probe to Mars in its first independent mission to another planet. Nov. 24, 2020: China launched an uncrewed mission, the Chang'e-5, with the aim of collecting lunar material to help scientists learn more about the moon's origins. Dec. 1, 2020: China landed the Chang'e-5 probe on the moon's surface. April 29, 2021: China launched Tianhe, the first and largest of three modules of its upcoming space station. May 15, 2021: China became the second country after the United States to land a robotic rover on the surface of Mars. June 17, 2021: China launched the crewed Shenzhou-12 spacecraft to dock with Tianhe. October 15, 2021: China launched the crewed Shenzhou-13 spacecraft to dock with the country's new Tiangong space station.
Fast Company
10-06-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
China is arming its space station with ‘guard dogs.' They have good reason for it
China is developing robotic guards for its Tiangong space station. Equipped with small thrusters, these AI-powered robotic beasts are being developed to intercept and physically shove suspicious objects away from its orbital outpost. It's a deceptively simple but ingenious step towards active space defense in an increasingly militarized domain. Rather than firing directed energy weapons like lasers or projectiles, which will turn the potential invader into a cloud of deadly shrapnel flying at 21 times the speed of sound, the Chinese have thought of a very zen 'reed that bends in the wind' kind of approach. The bots will grapple a threatening object and lightly push it out of harm's way. Elegant space jiu-jitsu rather than brute kickboxing. The announcement, made by scientist Sun Zhibin of China's National Space Science Centre during a recent talk at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, comes as recent Pentagon reports reveal that China has already staged the first-ever satellite combat operations in low-Earth orbit. It marks a decisive shift from passive space exploration and coexistence to active territorial control at orbital altitudes. Beijing indicates that it is not 'arming' its space station out of aggression, but as a response to recent threats by a Starlink satellite, which grazed the Tiangong, prompting evasive maneuvers and strong formal protest in the UN by the Chinese delegation. However, it would be naive not to see it as part of the ongoing effort to dominate space by force, which is now ongoing in Russia, the United States, and China. A logical design China's solution is actually the only possible design that makes sense. On Earth, when you destroy an aerial object, it falls to the ground, where it stays forever thanks to gravity. But firing a projectile at an object approaching a space station wouldn't end a threat—it would unleash chaos. Imagine this: A bullet, no larger than your fist, streaks toward an incoming satellite. They collide not with a Hollywood explosion, but a silent, hyper-violent shattering. At orbital speeds—10 times faster than a rifle round—the impact vaporizes metal, scattering a storm of razor-edged fragments in all directions. Each shard, now a new projectile, inherits the object's original velocity. Some scream toward the void; others carve lethal arcs back toward the station, peppering its hull like cosmic shotgun pellets. This isn't just debris. It's a permanent minefield that doesn't go away. Those fragments don't slow down. They don't fall. They loop around Earth for decades, crossing orbits like invisible shrapnel. One piece tears through a solar panel, crippling a satellite. Another punches into a fuel tank, triggering a secondary explosion. The cascade begins: each new collision spawns more debris, more weapons. Low-Earth orbit—once a highway of discovery—becomes a junkyard of spinning blades, making space travel impossible for centuries to come. This doomsday scenario is what it's technically known as the Kessler effect, which was formulated in 1978 by NASA scientists Donald J. Kessler and Burton G. Cour-Palais. Firing a laser—or any other form of directed energy beam—wouldn't stop the incoming object either (to be strictly correct, it would eventually, as light exerts a force on objects, but it would take years, so it's not useful for this defense scenario). Sun's proposal, however, would theoretically work perfectly. First, it's not only about space robots. It outlines a tiered response protocol that transforms space station defense from reactive to proactive operations. When sensors and ground control detect an approaching object, the system initiates a comprehensive intent assessment phase, analyzing the intruder's trajectory, velocity changes, and behavioral patterns to determine whether the approach represents deliberate reconnaissance, accidental drift, or potential collision threat. The assessment feeds into a decision matrix that weighs multiple response options, ranging from subtle evasive maneuvers and orbital adjustments to the deployment of what Sun describes as specialized robotic thrusters—something I'm calling 'space guard dogs.' These bots are the most cinematic capability of the defense, involving physical interception. You can think about these space guard dogs as autonomous directional thrusters like the ones that Apollo astronauts used to maneuver the Apollo Command Module or the Lunar Module. The engineers have not presented the design for these bots yet, but they describe small thrusters equipped with sensors, a docking mechanism, and artificial intelligence. After launching from the Tiangong and intercepting the suspicious object, the bot's docking mechanism— most likely a grapple —will latch onto the intruders. Once securely attached, the thrusters will fire in a controlled propulsion burn to push targets into safer trajectories, like a tugboat in a port, effectively creating a moveable exclusion zone around China's premier space asset. 'Sometimes another spacecraft may deliberately come close—maybe just to take a look—but it can still interfere with our operations,' Sun explained during his presentation, acknowledging that even ostensibly peaceful approaches can disrupt critical station operations. The strategic rationale of the system is rooted in past incidents that have highlighted the vulnerabilities of orbital assets. In December 2021, China formally reported to the United Nations that its Tiangong space station was forced to perform two evasive maneuvers in the same year to avoid potential collisions with SpaceX's Starlink satellites. Starlink-1095 and Starlink-2305 reportedly descended from their typical operational orbits of around 555 kilometers into Tiangong's zone at approximately 382 kilometers, prompting emergency actions on July 1 and October 21, 2021. The encounters were observed by Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell using U.S. space tracking data, estimating that the Starlink satellite in the October incident might have come within a mere 1.8 miles of the Tiangong station. In space distances, this is the equivalent of two cars coming within fractions of an inch from a crash. The near-misses occurred while astronauts were aboard the station, 'endangering the life or health of astronauts' according to Beijing. China stressed that states are responsible for all national space activities, including those conducted by commercial operators. The Chinese complaint to the UN highlighted the difficulty in predicting the Starlink satellites' trajectories due to their continuous maneuvering, with their strategies largely unknown and orbital errors hard to assess, thus posing a collision risk. For the July 2021 encounter, there was no advance communication between SpaceX and the China Human Spaceflight Engineering Office (CMSEO) about the pass. SpaceX, for its part, confirmed that it checks for close approaches with both the International Space Station and China's Space Station. The United States stated in response that these activities did not meet the threshold for established emergency collision criteria, and therefore, emergency notifications were not warranted. China disagreed, and the International Space Station—managed by the United States, Russia, and Europe— would have probably executed the same maneuver, according to past operational history. This divergence in perspectives underscores a critical gap in international norms and communication protocols for space operations. The absence of clear, mutually agreed-upon rules for collision avoidance and maneuver notification between major spacefaring entities fosters an environment ripe for misinterpretation, accidental collisions, and escalating tensions, directly fueling the perceived need for 'space guard dog' capabilities and contributing to a more contested space domain. This is even more important when you take into consideration how all these global powers are actively putting weapons in space and training for space war contravening the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the document that established international space law and prohibited placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, on celestial bodies, or in outer space. Advantage China China's protests in the UN are ironic given that China's ambitions in space extend far beyond its defensive robots. The country is quickly expanding military space operations, building capabilities that are reshaping the global space landscape. It founded its space force in 2024, declaring orbital operations the most crucial domain for the country's defense. This is nothing that the United States and Russia haven't been doing for decades. The Pentagon also has its own space force arm—founded by Trump in his first term—and has recently suggested to accelerate the country's efforts in response to China's latest developments. One of the most concerning developments for the U.S. is China's demonstrated prowess in rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), precise spacecraft maneuvers to approach and closely operate near another object satellite. These involve controlled relative motion for activities like inspection, maintenance, docking, or capture. They can be peaceful—like filling the fuel tank of a satellite—or military, like taking down another spaceship. U.S. Space Force officials have likened China's maneuvers to 'dogfighting in space,' a term that evokes Star Wars space battles but that actually occurs in a much different way, with long trajectories that take a long time to complete and none of that Luke versus Vader tit-for-tat. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein stated in March 2025 that China has been using experimental satellites to practice these dogfights, an event that has beaten the Pentagon's own plans to do the same. The test involved a series of 'proximity operations' conducted in low-Earth orbit last year, involving 'five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity, and in control.' There were three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites—think about these as the attackers—and two Shijian-6 05A/B experimental space objects—the targets—which came within less than roughly half a mile of each other. These operations are not just technical demonstrations; they are seen as 'practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,' the Space Force says, hinting at potential hostile intentions. It is not the first time China has done it, too. The Shijian (meaning 'Practice' in Chinese) series of satellites has long been a focal point of concern for U.S. government and space observers due to their unannounced launches, deployment of undisclosed sub-satellites, and unusual orbital maneuvers. It has demonstrated RPO capabilities, including close inspection and even towing of other objects. The Shijian-17, launched in 2016, was equipped with a robotic arm. U.S. Space Command Commander General James H. Dickinson publicly warned in April 2021 that this robotic arm could be used in a 'future system for grappling other satellites,' highlighting its potential for 'counter space capabilities.' Which brings us back full circle to that idea of the space guard dogs and why Sun believes they need them. The militarization of space There have been previous military operations in space—most notably, the U.S. conducted several nuclear tests in space, like Starfish Prime in 1962, a 1.4 megaton bomb detonated at a high altitude over Johnston Atoll, an island in the Pacific Ocean, aimed to study the effects of EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) on electronics and satellites. But things are getting really heated now. The U.S. Space Force is playing catch up with Chinese capabilities. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) are spearheading initiatives like the Victus Haze mission, which has already been delayed from mid-2025 to a late 2025 launch. Using only two spaceships, it aims to partially match the capabilities demonstrated by the Chinese. More importantly, however, is President Trump's Golden Dome, an ambitious $175 billion plan to build a coast-to-coast missile defense shield over the U.S. that envisions hundreds or even thousands of satellites in orbit, equipped with advanced sensors and interceptors, including space-based lasers, that are designed to detect, track, and neutralize incoming hypersonic, ballistic, and space-based weapons. Critics warn that such a system, aspiring to make the U.S. invulnerable, could be perceived by adversaries as an attempt to undermine nuclear deterrence, thereby fueling a dangerous global arms race. Indeed, China is already developing counter-stealth materials designed to evade Golden Dome's detection capabilities. Russia has been developing orbital anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons for years. U.S. officials have confirmed that Moscow is developing a nuclear weapon designed to target satellites, capable of producing a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) upon detonation that could indiscriminately disable hundreds of government and commercial satellites in low Earth orbit. This threat is particularly concerning given the critical reliance of modern society on satellite infrastructure. The Pentagon further stated that Russia launched an anti-satellite vehicle into orbit in May 2024, placing it in the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite, and that the Kosmos-2553 spacecraft, launched in February 2022, contained components of Russia's anti-satellite nuclear weapons system. China has clearly stated that they consider orbital space domination crucial to have military superiority on Earth. They have declared they want technological hegemony in hypersonic space weapons and so far they have achieved it, according to the Pentagon itself, which referred to its tests as 'close to Sputnik moment' back in 2021. William Schneider—a senior member of the Hudson Institute think tank— wrote in 2022 that China's new space hypersonic force is a 'system of systems' designed to beat the U.S.'s early warning capabilities, which detect any nuclear launches in the world. The Chinese People's Liberation Army doesn't try to hide its fight for orbital domination, as American Enterprise Institute's analyst Larry Wortzel highlighted as far back as 2007: 'In a China Military Science article, Major General Liu Jixian of the PLA Academy of Military Science paraphrases Kennedy this way: 'Whoever controls the universe controls our world; whoever controls space controls initiative in war.'' Now we are seeing the results of this vision. Of course, the U.S. thinks the same, as chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force said in March at the Air & Space Forces Association's Warfare Conference in Aurora, Colorado: 'We must think of space as a warfighting domain, rather than just a collection of support activities.' His thoughts are a summary of the new official Pentagon doctrine for military space operations—Space Force Doctrine Document 1, published back in April. These developments, coupled with the deterioration of existing arms control frameworks like the New START Treaty—set to expire in February 2026 with no successor—and the suspension of U.S.-China arms control talks—back July 2024 over US arms sales to Taiwan—paint a grim picture of a space environment increasingly devoid of guardrails. A vacuum of agreed-upon norms and limitations creates a dangerous free-for-all, where each nation's perceived need for security drives a continuous cycle of innovation and counter-innovation, pushing towards an orbital arms race and bypassing or ignoring the Outer Space Treaty. Aside from Russia's alleged new nuclear satellite, spaceships like the ones used in Victus Haze or Tiangong's defensive robots operate within a legal gray area that exploits ambiguities in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits placing weapons of mass destruction in space, but doesn't say anything about conventional defensive systems. By framing the robots as nondestructive 'tugboats' rather than weapons, China maintains plausible deniability while establishing operational precedents that could normalize active space defense measures. But, as we know, RPO capabilities have offensive applications too: The same robotic systems capable of pushing away threats could theoretically capture or disable hostile satellites through controlled manipulation. Sun's acknowledgment that satellites sometimes approach 'deliberately' to 'take a look' reflects growing concerns about orbital espionage, where nations deploy satellites for close-range intelligence gathering against foreign space assets. The development signals that space warfare has moved beyond theoretical planning into operational reality, with the three top world powers now fielding systems capable of engaging hostile targets across the orbital domain. In this emerging environment, the line between defensive maneuvering and offensive action becomes increasingly blurred. And with it, the risk of actual space war—which could signal the start of a nuclear war on the ground—becomes clearer by the day.
Express Tribune
07-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Beijing launches AI ‘RoboBrain' to power next generation of humanoid robots
Humanoid robot "Tiangong" participates along with human runners in the E-Town Half Marathon & Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China April, 19 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article China has taken a significant step forward in its race to lead global robotics innovation with the unveiling of RoboBrain 2.0 — an open-source artificial intelligence model designed to serve as the cognitive core of humanoid robots. The model was launched on Friday by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a leading non-profit research institution, during its annual conference in the Chinese capital. The release marks a milestone in China's efforts to build smarter and more autonomous machines for its fast-growing robotics sector. Described by BAAI director Wang Zhongyuan as the world's most powerful open-source AI model tailored for robotics, RoboBrain 2.0 promises to enhance a robot's spatial perception and task-planning capabilities. Compared to its earlier version introduced just three months ago, the upgraded model is reported to operate 17% faster and with 74% higher accuracy. 'Currently, we are partnering with over 20 leading companies and are open to new collaborations to drive growth in the embodied intelligence industry,' Wang told attendees at the Zhiyuan Institute — BAAI's local moniker. The enhanced spatial intelligence enables robots to more accurately interpret their surroundings and judge distances, while improved planning algorithms allow them to autonomously deconstruct complex tasks into simpler, executable steps. RoboBrain 2.0 is part of BAAI's broader Wujie model suite, which also includes RoboOS 2.0 — a cloud-based distribution platform for robotics AI — and Emu3, a multimodal system capable of processing and generating text, images, and video. The model's launch comes amid intensifying competition in China's robotics landscape. Earlier this year, the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre introduced its own general-purpose platform, Hui Si Kai Wu, which it envisions as the Android equivalent for humanoid robots. The centre made headlines in April after its Tien Kung humanoid robot completed a half-marathon in Beijing. BAAI has emerged as a pioneer in open-source large language models and has played a key role in China's generative AI boom. Many of its alumni have gone on to found successful AI start-ups. Despite being added to the US Entity List in March — which restricts access to American technology — the institute continues to push forward, with Wang calling the decision 'a mistake' and lobbying for its reversal. In a show of resilience and ambition, BAAI also announced a new strategic partnership with the Hong Kong Investment Corporation to promote innovation through joint initiatives in talent development, technology exchange, and venture capital. This year's BAAI Conference drew more than 100 global AI researchers and over 200 industry experts, including leaders from major Chinese tech firms such as Baidu, Huawei, and Tencent, alongside robotics-focused start-ups like Unitree Robotics, Zhipu AI, and Shengshu AI. As China accelerates its quest to develop commercially viable humanoid robots, BAAI's open-source approach could help democratise access to high-performing AI systems — and set the foundation for a new generation of intelligent machines.
Arab News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Will the new era in space be one of rivalry?
In five years' time, the International Space Station will be retired. This symbol of peaceful collaboration is set to exit space at a time of increased and convergent geopolitical and technological competition on Earth. In uninterrupted operation for more than two decades, the space station has hosted thousands of scientific experiments in microgravity and welcomed 250 astronauts from 20 nations. A joint project between the US' NASA, Russia's Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, it included participation from 15 countries. Needless to say, the world and space are today heading in a different direction. What will space look like in five years? What will Earth's geopolitics look like in five years? Will there be the same opportunities for collaboration in research and science in space? The answers are starting to unfold and, noting the importance of space in terms of global communications and intelligence, we are noticing the erasure of commercialization within the space sector. In short, it is back to single-use and not even dual-use. Today, the only country ready for the post-International Space Station era is China. The Tiangong space station, which has been fully functioning since late 2022, is a significant step in China's ascent to prominence as a global space power. Tiangong is, for now, composed of three modules: the Tianhe core module and two laboratories, Wentian and Mengtian. Just like the International Space Station, it orbits Earth at a distance of about 400 km. It can support more than 100 scientific studies, ranging from biology to materials science, while three astronauts are hosted at a time on six-month rotations. The plan is to expand the station to six modules. This would mean doubling its current size. Despite repeated delays, China also plans to launch the Xuntian space telescope, which will orbit alongside Tiangong and periodically dock for maintenance. This means China is establishing a self-sufficient infrastructure. Sun Zhibin, of the National Space Science Centre in Beijing, last week said China is creating a rapid-response space defense system to detect and drive away suspect spacecraft. It aims to use a tiny robotic thruster to grab hold of unknown objects and propel them away from the Tiangong space station or other vital space equipment. There is no doubt this could also play an offensive role. So, where does that leave the rest of the world? What is the US' post-space station plan? What is Europe's? There are several private American companies working on what are defined as commercial space stations. Axiom Space is creating a modular station that will initially be attached to the International Space Station, before aiming for independent operation by 2031 with a focus on research, manufacturing and tourism. The Tiangong space station is a significant step in China's ascent to prominence as a global space power Khaled Abou Zahr NanoRacks, under the Starlab project alongside Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, plans a free-flying station dedicated to science and industrial applications, targeted for launch in 2028. And Blue Origin, alongside Sierra Space and Boeing, is developing the Orbital Reef station, envisioned as a mixed-use space 'business park' supporting research, manufacturing and tourism. With a modular design, it is expected to be operational by 2030. More recently, Vast has announced its plans for Haven-1, the first commercial space station, which is set for launch in 2026. It will support short missions with high-speed internet connectivity via Starlink. The big issues are whether these companies will be able to deliver on time and whether the projects will be financially successful. Some have already faced issues. These space station projects are supported by NASA's goal of transitioning low Earth orbit activities to the private sector. Yet, we need to be realistic. While it is clear that China's approach is more state-led and centralized, all these private companies are dependent on government contracts. More than 75 percent of the revenues for space hardware, or what are known as upstream companies, are generated by space agencies, ministries of defense and intelligence services. The competition certainly allows for better pressure on deliverables and prices, but the source is ultimately the same: government. Axiom Space has raised more than $505 million in private funding, including a $350 million Series-C round in 2023. Additionally, the company has secured more than $2.2 billion in customer contracts, mainly from government entities. In 2021, NanoRacks was awarded a NASA contract worth $160 million through the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destinations program to support the development of Starlab. Blue Origin was also awarded $130 million by NASA. China, meanwhile, benefits from its purchasing power parity, which multiplies its achievements as companies burn cash. With the way geopolitics is evolving on Earth, one can expect that these space stations will serve more than just science. Satellites have a critical role in modern defense for secure communications, surveillance and navigation, as well as acting as early warning systems. Space-based assets are also vital in conflict scenarios. Their importance has been clear in the war in Ukraine, where satellite imagery and communications have proved decisive on the battlefield, especially with drones. This confirms that space has become a battle domain as crucial as land, sea, air and cyber. Hence, there is a need for both defending against and developing capabilities to disrupt or disable adversaries' satellites through cyberattacks, jamming or even antisatellite weapons. This is essential for deterrence. Recently analyzed swabs taken in May 2023 found an unknown bacterium, Niallia tiangongensis, aboard China's Tiangong station. Similar microbial challenges have been faced on the International Space Station, where strains like Acinetobacter pittii have shown signs of antibiotic resistance. This highlights the shared responsibility to manage risks as both national and commercial space habitats expand. Rather than competing in isolation, nations and private companies may find that collaboration on biosecurity and research offers some common ground. • Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
