PLA’s plan to destroy US carriers; world’s largest whale graveyard: 7 science highlights

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. PLA scientists propose a plan to destroy US carrier groups from 3,000km awayAs the United States quietly pulls its most precious military assets away from the coasts of Asia, they are falling back to places like Guam in Micronesia, a US island territory far beyond the reach of most conventional missiles.2. Chinese satellite company releases images of Nvidia, Apple HQsA satellite image of Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California was among the photos released on Monday. Photo: Changguang SatelliteAfter it was sanctioned by the US government for allegedly helping Iran, a Chinese satellite company has released high-definition images of the Nvidia and Apple headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley.3. Chinese team flags life-threatening weakness in Nasa’s Artemis programmeIn the 21st century race to the moon, there is a question that engineers must ask: what happens when the main engine fails? China and the United States are answering this in contrasting ways. Their answers could reveal the value they place on human life.4. For 5 million years, whales have come to this place in the Indian Ocean to dieA scientific team from China discovered the deepest and most extensive whale graveyard in the depths of the Diamantina Trench. Photo: HandoutChinese deep-sea explorers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have discovered the largest “whale-fall site” ever recorded in the Indian Ocean.5. Spying in Xinjiang? No, I was reporting from China’s energy heartlandSenior reporter Dannie Peng visited Xinjiang in April to see first-hand how a vast industrial ecosystem is rapidly taking shape.6. Why SpaceX may not be a model for Chinese companies to copySpaceX employees celebrate the firm’s record-breaking IPO in New York on Friday. Photo: AFPChina should not try to copy SpaceX despite the US company’s successful IPO, a leading economist has said. The company raised US$75 billion when it went public on Friday and made its chief executive Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.7. Chinese black hole-hunting scientist Dai Liang quits US for Shanghai postA physicist who was awarded a fellowship reserved for the “brightest young scientists” in the US and Canada for his work hunting for black holes has returned to China.Further Reading