BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China:
NEW SATELLITE
China on early Sunday sent a new satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The satellite, L-SAR4 01, was launched at 1:26 a.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-3B carrier rocket, and entered its planned orbit successfully.
The satellite will be mainly used to provide remote sensing information services.
CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM
Chinese researchers have proposed a coral reef ecological pump concept to facilitate and enhance the study of the functions of coral ecosystem, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The researchers from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the CAS summarized the multiple input pathways of external nutrients, the storage of nutrients in reef organisms, the efficient retaining and recycling of dissolved and particulate organic matter within coral reef ecosystems, the distinctly high phytoplankton productivity and biomass inside and near oceanic coral reefs, and the export of reef-related organic carbon to adjacent open oceans.
All these properties enable coral reefs to function as ecological pumps for gathering nutrients across ecosystems and space, retaining and recycling nutrients within the ecosystem, supporting high phytoplankton productivity, and exporting organic carbon to adjacent open oceans.
INTELLIGENT CONNECTED VEHICLES
Seven intelligent connected buses hit the road in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for a test run this week, paving the way for their official launch later in August.
The test run is being held in Chongqing's Western Science City, where a demonstration zone of intelligent connected vehicles (ICV) is taking shape.
"Unlike conventional unmanned vehicles, these autonomous commuting buses are an integral part of the cloud-controlled infrastructure and applications of the demonstration zone," said Chang Xueyang, vice general manager of Western China Internet of Vehicle (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. ■
