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China’s unique high-orbit satellite is using a rare metal the US struggles to obtain

Asia-Pacific 1 source 1 country 🔦 Under-reported 42m ago

A satellite that can provide 24/7 surveillance of a third of the Earth’s surface relies on a rare mineral whose global supply is dominated by China, a new study has disclosed. The Ludi Tance-4 01 radar satellite, powered by gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, is the only satellite of its kind. It orbits 36,000km (22,000 miles) above the Earth and is able to stay in what is known as a geosynchronous orbit, which keeps it fixed over the same spot.

This allows it to monitor both large areas of...

Summary from source
Read the full story at the source South China Morning Post · HK
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