* Astronomy

China acquires space tracking station in Australia

The station in remote Dongara, about 350 kilometres north of Perth in western Australia, was used during Tuesday s launch of the Shenzhou VIII mission, Hong Kong daily the South Morning China Post reported.
The United States and the European Space Agency, have long had tracking facilities in Australia, including the joint US-Australian Pine Gap satellite station established decades ago near the central outback town of Alice Springs.
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