China’s rare earth weakness, new rocket to rival SpaceX: 7 science highlightsFrom China unveiling microwave weapons to top neurobiologist leaving US, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenPublished: 12:30pm, 15 Jul 2026Updated: 1:10pm, 15 Jul 2026We 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. China’s satellite engine smashes record, leaves US rival far behindA communications satellite equipped with the 750 newton test engine takes off from the Wenchang launch site in southern China on board a modified version of the Long March-7 rocket on June 23. Photo: XinhuaSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
SRCSouth China Morning Post
LANGEN
LEANCenter-Right
WORDS118
ENT10
WED · 2026-07-15 · 04:30 GMTBRIEF NSR-2026-0715-93120
NSR-2026-0715-93120News Report·EN·Technology
China’s rare earth weakness, new rocket to rival SpaceX: 7 science highlights
This article highlights seven science stories from the past two weeks. A key development is China's successful testing of a satellite engine with a record-breaking operating life, which could enhance the speed and reliability of spacecraft.
SCMPSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-07-15 · 04:30 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min
South China Morning PostFIG 01
Reading time
1min
Word count
118words
Sources cited
0cited
Entities identified
10entities
Quality score
100%
§ 01
Briefing Summary
AI-generatedNEWSAR · AI
This article highlights seven science stories from the past two weeks. A key development is China's successful testing of a satellite engine with a record-breaking operating life, which could enhance the speed and reliability of spacecraft. The article also mentions China's rare earth weakness and the development of a new rocket intended to rival SpaceX. Other reported science news includes China's unveiling of microwave weapons and a top neurobiologist's departure from the US. The information is presented to keep readers informed about recent scientific advancements and events.
Confidence 0.85Claims 4Entities 10
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Article analysis
Model · rule-basedFraming
Technology
National Security
Tone
Mixed Tone
AI-assessed
CalmNeutralAlarmist
Factuality
0.70 / 1.00
Factual
LowHigh
Sources cited
0
No named sources
FewMany
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Key claims
4 extracted01
China's satellite engine smashes record, leaves US rival far behind.
factual
Confidence
0.90
02
A new rocket is being developed to rival SpaceX.
factual
Confidence
0.80
03
A top neurobiologist has left the US.
factual
Confidence
0.80
04
China is developing microwave weapons.
factual
Confidence
0.80
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Full report
1 min read · 118 words§ 05
Entities
10 identifiedKey playerOppositionContextPositiveNeutralNegative
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Keywords & salience
8 termsnew rocket
1.00
rare earth weakness
1.00
spacex rival
0.90
science highlights
0.80
microwave weapons
0.70
neurobiologist
0.60
satellite engine
0.50
long march-7 rocket
0.50
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Topic connections
Interactive graph Network visualization showing 51 related topics
View Full Graph Person Organization Location Event|Click node to navigate|Edge numbers = shared articles