BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) — The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.

NEW ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY

Chinese astronomers plan to build a new submillimeter-wave observatory on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as “the roof of the world.”

Proposed by the Nanjing-based Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the observatory project includes a new submillimeter-wave telescope with a diameter of 15 meters, larger than China’s current most advanced 13.7-meter radio telescope.

HIGH-TECH ZONES

China’s national high-tech zones have shown strong anti-risk ability and growth momentum, a Chinese official said at a press conference.

The annual revenue of the country’s 169 state-level high-tech zones is expected to exceed 48 trillion yuan (about 7.6 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up about 12 percent year on year, said Shao Xinyu, vice minister of science and technology.

MANNED LAUNCH VEHICLE

China’s new-generation manned launch vehicle may have a reusable first stage that can make a vertical soft landing.

The reusable first stage can perform engine deceleration during the reentry, and control itself and decelerate by pneumatic rudders, said Wang Xiaojun, head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, which is under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.