China reports that attempted sabotage on one of its scheduled rocket launches was done with a commercially available jammer.
The electronic device can scramble the navigation systems of a rocket going to the Tiangong Space Station. This scrambling device was inside a car parked close to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu about two weeks back; this was on the Yangtze Evening News on Sunday.
China's Allegation of Sabotage
According to the space center, if it was done by a saboteur or is accidental, the device could scramble navigation and make the rocket miss its destination, reported the Eurasian Times.
Beijing has reported the incident as the first before the launch of the Shenzhou 14 mission, going with astronauts to dock with the Tiangong space station scheduled for this coming June 4 on Sunday, noted Space.
Beijing plans to launch three astronauts into space. The crew included Liu Yang, China's first woman in space, in 2012.
Scientists and engineers detected the jamming signal in early May, and it took days to trace and identify the signs thought to be on and off close to the launch area.
Wang Lipeng, an electromagnetic signal technician, and colleagues allegedly tracked down the signal and evaluated security video at the launch site to identify the type of jammer. When Wang could see the car where the jammer was left, everyone was relieved.
The South China Morning Post remarked that the device is a hidden jammer with a standard maximum range of 32 feet. These devices can be purchased on Taobao online in China as well.
Taobao is the biggest E-commerce site in China owned by Alibaba, which is owned by Jack Ma, who has been misdealing with President Xi Jinping. A scientist told SCMP the device could disrupt the satellite's signal, which is weak at 12,000 feet in low earth orbit.
Such devices are used to hide a device's location or scramble GPS units, these disruptive electronic devices are allowed in China, but it is criminal to have, sell or use in the US and Canada.
Tiangong Space Station
Shenzhou 14 is scheduled to take off from the Gobi Desert at approximately 10.44 a.m. Sunday, local time on Sunday. Three astronauts are on board the space station for a six-month mission to observe the station's final stages.
The spacecraft and its carrier rocket, the Long March 2F, are relocated to the launch pad at Inner Mongolia's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. They will undergo final checks and evaluations this week.
Staying for six months on the space station are the astronauts; they will conduct the construction of two extra modules in 2022. Called the Wentian and Mengtian labs linked to Tiangong.
Zang Fusheng designed the manned spacecraft system and gave details about it. The June launch is part of the six planned to complete Tiangong for full operation after construction.
Once completed, the Chinese space station will be like the bigger International Space Station (ISS). An operational lifespan of 10 to 15 years while activities could be conducted, Beijing considers international cooperation on the Tiangong as expressed by Ji Qiming last year.
The US competing with China has created problems for cooperation with ISS since 2011. Unfortunately, China is the target of sabotage with a hidden jammer showing attempts to sideline Beijing due to fears of dominating the space race.
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