The Nation’s first reusable and returnable satellite, Shijian-19, was successfully retrieved and returned to Earth after conducting multiple space experiments in low Earth orbit. Among the payloads was an in-orbit material experiment testbed developed by PolyU, which is Hong Kong’s first reusable experimental payload to return from space. The China National Space Administration held the payloads handover ceremony for the Shijian-19 satellite in Beijing on 24 October 2024, marking the successful completion of the satellite’s return mission.

Led by Prof. Daniel Shu Ping LAU, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of the Department of Applied Physics of PolyU, who is also a member of the University’s Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), the project was jointly developed with the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the testbed was designed and manufactured at PolyU’s Industrial Centre. The entire research and production process was completed on the PolyU campus.
 

This project aims to study the effects of microgravity, vacuum, and radiation on the effectiveness of high-performance catalysts, laying a foundation for space application catalyst materials for producing fuels, oxygen, and specific chemicals.

The equipment design considered the average material’s radiation exposure rate and high penetrability to improve overall testing efficiency. The payload can be rapidly reused without replacing core components, significantly reducing the overall cost of future experiment opportunities through its reusability.