As human aeronautic and aerospace technology continues to prosper and the aerial flight space domain further expands, traditional fixed-shape air vehicles have been confronted with difficulties in satisfying complex missions in cross-domain scenarios. Owing to their flexible and deformable appearance, morphing air vehicles are expected to realize cross-domain intelligent flight, thus emerging as the most subversive strategic development trend and research focus in aeronautic and aerospace fields. This paper primarily reviews the research background and challenges of flexible and deformable cross-domain intelligent flight, proposing a corresponding research framework and mode as well as exploring the scientific issues and state-of-the-art solutions, where key research progress is introduced. The explorations covered in this paper also provide ideas and directions for the study of deformable cross-domain intelligent flight, which has critical scientific significance in promoting the study itself.

 Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have indicated that inspirations from the brain can effectively improve the level of intelligence for AI computational models, even if just local and partial inspirations. Nevertheless, realizing and exceeding intelligence at a human level still needs a deeper investigation and inspirations from the brain. The goal of brain-inspired intelligence is to achieve human intelligence inspired from brain neural mechanism and cognitive behavior mechanism. To this end, in this paper we introduce the relationship between AI and neuroscience, the current status of brain-inspired intelligence, the future work in intelligent control systems, and its profound influence in other fields.

 In order to improve the safety and reliability of a launch vehicle, we present a reconfigurable guidance method based on online trajectory optimization for thrust decrease at the ascending stage of the launch vehicle in this paper. We used a multiple shooting method to convert the optimal control problem into a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem. Finally, we used the interior point method to solve the NLP problem. The simulation results show that the method can effectively adapt to thrust decreases by 5% and 10%. This reconfigurable guidance method based on online planning is proposed to realize launch missions under the condition of power descent, thus verifying the feasibility of the method.

 As one of the newly developing intelligent/smart materials, shape memory alloys (SMAs) have become an important material and have broad application prospects. With smart structures, the integration of SMAs as actuators and sensors in structural components, has drawn significant attention and interest in the aerospace field. In this paper, the research status of SMAs at home and abroad in recent years was reviewed, including the characteristics, classification, investigation progress and applications in the aerospace field. Finally, the development trend prospects for SMAs was also presented.

 The objective of this study is to identify the requirements of access to space for the future, the required methodology, key technologies and international cooperation mode. Firstly, the mission requirements and the challenges of current technologies to access to space are analyzed and summarized. The solutions and related key technologies to realize large-scale and low-cost access to space (L2AS) are presented here, including the low-cost design of expendable launch vehicles and a reusable space transportation system, interface standardization, and new conceptual launchers. The mission modes based on launch vehicles to realize L2AS and three future international collaboration modes are presented. Lastly, the relevant conclusions and suggestions are given.

China’s space technology has gradually improved from the early stages’ introduction, absorption and re-innovation based on backward design to independent innovation based on forward design. It is necessary to develop a new approach of systems engineering to improve the quality and efficiency of space systems design considering the large number of original design problems expected in the future. Adopting Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Digital Twin method are important development initiatives in the field of modern engineering design. In the initial phase of system design, it is necessary to generate firm system architecture models based on the needs of stakeholders. The quality of the system design in this phase has a great impact on the detailed design and implementation for the subsequent system, and also plays an important role in the performance, development progress and cost of the whole system. Through the collaboration of cross-professional teams, modeling and model execution, comparing the model execution with expected results, MBSE has enabled digital model-level verification and validation before test verification and validation based on physical products, thus improving the design exactness, completeness and greatly reducing design errors or defects. This paper explores the logical ideas behind modeling of system architectures in order to promote the adoption of MBSE in the field of space systems.

With the further reduction in cost and the increase in bandwidth, as well as the increase in internet applications, satellite communications are gradually shifting from a complementary role to becoming a fully integrated component of terrestrial communications networks. This paper firstly introduces the development of satellite communications, mobile communications and the global space-terrestrial integrated network. We then propose the functional architecture and network architecture for the integration of satellite communications and terrestrial mobile communications based on 5G core networks. Finally, in order to support the network of the future, four key technologies are presented, a space-terrestrial integrated air interface design, a multi-band space-terrestrial integrated transmission waveform design, space-terrestrial integrated switching and routing technology, along with spectrum sharing and interference coordination technology, all necessary for the development of space-terrestrial integrated networks.

A LM-4C carrier rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 06:45 Beijing time on March 31, 2021, successfully sending the Gaofen 12-02 satellite into its preset orbit. This was the 73rd mission of LM-4B series launch vehicle, also the 364th flight of LM series launch vehicle. 
The satellite, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) under CASC, was designed to be use in areas such as land survey, city planning, confirmation of land right, route and network design, crops yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation. 
The LM-4C is a conventional liquid three-stage carrier rocket developed by SAST. It is capable of launching various types of satellites with different orbit requirements and carrying out single satellite or multiple-satellite launch missions with one rocket. Its launch capacity into a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit is up to 3 tons.

At 10:19 Beijing time on March 13, 2021, a LM-4C launch vehicle was launched into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with 3 satellites, Yaogan 31-04 group, launching the satellites into their preset orbits. This was the 3rd flight mission of LM-4B series launch vehicle in 2021 as well as the 363rd launch of LM series rocket.
The Yaogan 31-04 group satellites were developed by the DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. of China Academy of Space Technology and are mainly used for electromagnetic environment detection measurements.

China’s new-generation medium high-orbit liquid launch vehicle LM-7A was launched into space with the Shiyan 9 satellite, launching the satellite into orbit with success. The successful launch of LM-7A commenced the space launch missions of the year 2021 from Hainan Wenchang, and also marked a new member joining in the new-generation medium LM family. This was the 362nd flight of the LM series launch vehicle. 
Shiyan 9 was developed by the China Academy of pace Technology for in-orbit demonstration of new technologies for space environment monitoring.

A LM-3B carrier rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 23:46 Beijing time on February 4, successfully launching the communications technology experiment satellite 6 into its preset orbit. 
The communications technology exCommunications Technology Experiment Satellite 6 Launched Atop A LM-3B periment satellite 6 was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is mainly used for services such as satellite communications, radio and television, and data transmission, and carries out relevant technology test and verification.
The LM-3B carrier rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. 
This was the 360th launch of the LM series launch vehicle.

At 00:25 Beijing time on January 20, China launched the Tiantong 1-03 satellite onboard a LM-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The satellite entered its preset orbit, marking the success of China’s first launch mission in 2021. 
The Tiantong 1 satellites were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, of which the Tiantong 1-01 and 1-02 satellites were launched by LM3B in 2016 and 2020 respectively. The Tiantong 1-03 satellite will be networked with the previous two satellites, realizing China’s autonomous and controllable satellite mobile communications system that can cover the Asia-Pacific region.
The LM-3B carrier rocket was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
This was the 358th launch of the LM series launch vehicle and the 117th launch of the LM-3 family.
CASC plans to conduct more than 40 launch missions in 2021.

At 12:47 Beijing time on January 29, a LM-4C carrier rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, launching the Yaogan 31-02 satellites into their preset orbits. The launch was a complete success.
Consisting of 3 satellites, the Yaogan 31-02 group was developed by the DFH Satellite Co., Ltd., and is mainly used for electromagnetic environment detection measurements.
The LM-4C carrier rocket was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is capable of launching one or multiple satellites into different orbits. 
This was the 359th launch of the LM series launch vehicle.