BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.

ROCKET TECHNOLOGY-ASSISTED SLED

The bobsleigh race at the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics is set to be faster and more fierce, as a new sled developed using Chinese rocket technology will take to the high-speed sporting slopes.

It is made of carbon fiber composite, a lightweight material that has been used in the rocket nose cones, as the sled’s surface material. Researchers also used rocketry aerodynamics and structural design to help the sled’s body minimize air resistance.

AQUATIC PLANTS

China has published an English edition of Aquatic Plants of China, a book recording a total of 885 species of freshwater and marine higher plants in China.

From the perspective of economic value and scientific research value, 500 representative species and 843 color pictures were selected to make 185 plates in the book, demonstrating close-up pictures of their original habitats, individual plants, flowers and fruits.

INFLIGHT WI-FI SERVICE

China has been facilitating network connectivity in its civil aviation fleet with 842 aircraft capable of providing inflight Wi-Fi service by the end of 2021, according to China’s civil aviation authorities.

Among the 842 civil aircraft with inflight network service, 213 could provide air-ground internet connectivity service, representing that passengers aboard can have access to the internet during the flight.