The
space program of the People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
was initiated soon after the country's founding in 1949. Eventually, this space program covers
anti-ballistic missile systemAn anti-ballistic missile is a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles .A ballistic missile is used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" describes any antimissile system designed to counter...
, anti-satellite weaponries,
reconnaissance satellitesA spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
,
manned spaceflightsHuman spaceflight is spaceflight with a human crew and possibly passengers. This makes it unlike robotic space probes or remotely-controlled satellites...
, "space laboratories",
space stationA space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. To date, only low earth orbital stations have been implemented, otherwise known as orbital stations...
s and
spaceplaneA spaceplane is an aircraft designed to pass the edge of space. It combines some of the features of an aircraft and some of a spacecraft. Typically, it takes the form of a spacecraft equipped with wings, and may be airbreathing or be purely rocket based....
s, exploration of the
MoonThe physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, impacted the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap...
and
MarsThe exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union , the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s...
with probably plans for permanent bases.
History and recent developments
During the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship period
After the United States threatened to use nuclear weapons during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
, Chairman
Mao ZedongMao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and Communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
decided that only a
nuclear deterrentA nuclear deterrent is the phrase used to refer to a country's nuclear weapons arsenal, when considered in the context of deterrence theory.Deterrence theory holds that nuclear weapons are intended to deter other states from attacking with their nuclear weapons, through the promise of retaliation...
of its own would guarantee the security of the newly founded PRC. Additionally, he wanted China to gain status among the world's powers that, as he felt, did not respect him, and instead dealt only with the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
(present-day Taiwan) as "China". Thus, Mao announced his decision to develop China's own strategic weapons, including nuclear bombs and associated missiles for the warheads, during a
Communist Party of ChinaThe Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and the ruling political party of the People's Republic of China and the world's largest political party...
(CCP) Central Committee meeting held on January 15, 1955. The Chinese nuclear weapons program was designated by the codename of "02".
The Fifth Academy of the Defence Ministry was founded on October 8, 1956, with
Qian XueshenTsien Hsue-shen is a scientist who was a major figure in the missile and space programs of both the United States and People's Republic of China. NASA documents commonly refer to him as H.S. Tsien....
, who had just been deported from the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after being accused of being a communist during the red scare, as director. The Academy started the development of the first ballistic missile program, adopted on March 1, 1956 and known as the first
Twelve-Year-Plan for Chinese aerospace.
After the launch of mankind's first artificial satellite,
Sputnik 1Sputnik 1 was the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, and was the first in a series of satellites collectively known as the Sputnik program...
by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
on October 4, 1957, Mao decided during the National Congress of the CCP on May 17, 1958 to make China an equal with the superpowers (“”), by adopting
Project 581 with the objective of placing a satellite in orbit by 1959 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the PRC's founding.
This goal would be achieved in three phases: developing sounding rockets first, then launching small satellites and in the final phase, large satellites.
The construction of China's first missile test base, code-named
Base 20Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility in the Gobi desert, Ejina Banner , Alashan League , Inner Mongolia, located about 1,600 km from Beijing. It is located at ....
, started in April 1958 and it entered service on October 20 of the same year.
During the cordial Sino-Soviet relations of the 1950s, the USSR engaged in a cooperative technology transfer program with the PRC under which they trained Chinese students and provided the fledgling program with a sample R-2 rocket.
The first Chinese missile was built in October 1958 as a reverse-engineered copy of the Soviet R-2 SRBM, itself an upgraded version of a
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
V-2 rocketAccording to head of Nazi rocket program Walter Dornberger, the V-2 rocket was the world's first ballistic missile and first human artifact to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight. It was the progenitor of all modern rockets...
. Its range was 590 km, weighing 20.5 tons and propelled with liquid oxygen and alcohol.
China's first ever
T-7T-7 is the name of China's first sounding rocket. The T-7 which was first launch on 13 September 1960 can carry a payload of 25 kg in a height of 58 kilometres. The T-7 has a length of 8 metres, a launch weight of 1138 kg and a diameter of 45 centimetres....
sounding rocket was successfully launched from the Nanhui launch site on February 19, 1960.
China started to develop medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) in July 1960, with an increased range double that of the R-2.
But when Khrushchev was denounced as revisionist, with Mao asserting that there had been a counter-revolution in the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
and that
capitalismCapitalism is an economic and social system in which the means of production are privately controlled; labor, goods and capital are traded in a market; profits are distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries; and wages are paid to labor...
had been restored, the friendly relationship between the two countries turned to confrontation. As a consequence, all Soviet technological assistances were abruptly withdrawn after the 1960
Sino-Soviet splitThe Sino–Soviet split was the gradual worsening of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
.
After the Sino-Soviet split
Only 17 days after the last Soviet expert had left China, the first Soviet built R-2 rocket fuelled with Chinese made propellant was launched with success on September 10, 1960.
The first successful launch of a Chinese 1059 SRBM missile copy of the R-2 was conducted only two months later on November 5, 1960. The missile was also designated DF-1.
The first DF-2 MRBM was tested on March 21, 1962, but failed.
With the escalation of the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
, Mao decided in December 1963 that China should develop missile defence system capacity. During a conference held in February 2, 1964,
directive 640 （640指示）is adopted (later known as
Project 640.
Development eventually continued with the redesigned DF-2A MRBM which was successfully tested on June 29, 1964. It would enter service by the end of 1966.
The first successful launch and recovery of a T-7A(S1) sounding rocket carrying a biological experiment (transporting eight white mice) was on July 19, 1964 from
Base 603Guangde Rocket Launch Site also known as Base 603 is a suborbital launch site that was operated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences located in Shijiedu , Shijie Town , Guangde County, Anhui province on the Chinese east coast...
（安徽广德誓节渡中国科学院六○三基地.
The first successful Chinese atomic bomb, code-named
596596 is the codename of the People's Republic of China's first nuclear weapons test, detonated on October 16 1964 at the Lop Nur test site. It was a uranium-235 implosion fission device and had a yield of 22 kilotons...
, was detonated on October 16, 1964.
China started to develop the
DF-5The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later...
ICBM program in August 1965. It was designed to carry a single nuclear warhead and has a maximum range of 12000 km.
In November 1966, it was decided to build a second ballistic missile test site, the Northern Missile Test Site (华北导弹试验场)) in Shanxi Province, farther away from China's northern border.
On October 27, 1966, a nuclear-tipped DF-2A missile was launched from Jiuquan and the 20 kilotons yield nuclear warhead exploded at the height of 569 meters over the target in Lop Nor or Base 21 situated 894 km away.
In December 26, 1966, China tested its first indigenously developed DF-3 IRBM with success. The DF-3 was
a single-stage, single-warhead missile with a maximum range of 2500 km.
In March 1967, development started on the
JL-1The Julang-1, also known as the JL-1 and in US nomenclature as the CSS-N-3, was China's first solid fueled ballistic missile.-History:Research and development began in 1967 and detailed design in the early 1970s, with a first land launch 30 April 1982 and a sea launch from a Project 629A class...
submarine-launched ballistic missile to accompany the
Type 092 SSBN also in development.
In June 17, 1967, China successfully detonated its
firstTest No. 6 is the codename for the first Chinese test of a staged thermonuclear device and its sixth nuclear weapons test and was detonated on 17 June, 1967. China became the fourth country to test a thermonuclear weapon after the United States, Soviet Union and the United Kingdom...
thermonuclear device.
The development of the DF-4 IRBM began in 1967 in parallel with the single-stage DF-3.
As the
space raceThe Space Race was an informal competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, as each side tried to match or better the other's accomplishments in exploring outer space...
between the two superpowers reached its climax with the conquest of the Moon, Mao and
Zhou EnlaiZhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
decided in July 14, 1967 that the PRC should not be left behind, and started China's own manned space program. China's first spacecraft designed for human occupancy was named
Shuguang-1 (曙光一号) in January 1968。 China's Space Medical Institute (航天医学工程研究所) was founded on April 1, 1968, and the
Central Military CommissionA Central Military Commission or National Defense Commission is an organisation typical of Communist one-party states, responsible for supervising the nation's armed forces....
issued the order of starting the selection of astronauts.
As part of the "third line" effort to relocate critical defense infrastructure to the relatively remote interior (away from the Soviet border), it was decided to construct a new space center in the mountainous region of
XichangXichang is the capital of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in Sichuan, China. Population : 126,700.-Geography:Xichang lies in the southwest of China near the border of southern Sichuan. The city is just northeast of the prefecture-level city of Panzhihua. The Anling River, which runs into...
in the
Sichuan' is a province in Southwestern China with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, 四川 , is an abbreviation of 四川路 , or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from 川峡四路 , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the...
province, code-named
Base 27The Xichang Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 27（27基地）, is a People’s Republic of China space vehicle launch facility approximately 64 km northwest of Xichang City in Sichuan Province....
.
A first liquid-propellant DF-3 medium-range ballistic missile was successfully launched from the Northern Missile Test Site on December 18, 1968, inaugurating the test site.
In August 1969, the development of China's first heavy-lift
satellite launch vehicleIn spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
(SLV), the FB-1 （风暴一号, was started by Shanghai’s 2nd Bureau of Mechanic-Electrical Industry. The all-liquid two-stage launcher was derived from the
DF-5The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later...
ICBM. Only a few months later, a parallel heavy-lift SLV program, also based on the same
DF-5The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later...
ICBM and known as
CZ-2The Long March 2A, also known as the Chang Zheng 2A, CZ-2A and LM-2A, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Area 2B at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 2-stage rocket, and flew just once, on 5 November 1974...
, was started in Beijing by the First Space Academy.
The DF-4 was used to develop the
Long March-1 SLVA Long March rocket is any rocket in a family of expendable launch systems operated by the People's Republic of China. Development and design falls under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. In English, the rockets are abbreviated as LM- for export and CZ- within China...
. A newly-designed spin-up orbital insertion solid propellant rocket motor third stage was added to the two existing
Nitric acidNitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure older samples tend to acquire a stronger yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as...
/
UDMHUnsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine is a toxic volatile hygroscopic clear liquid, with a sharp, fishy, ammoniacal smell typical for organic amines. It turns yellowish on exposure to air and absorbs oxygen and carbon dioxide. It mixes completely with water, ethanol, and kerosene. In concentration...
liquid propellant stages. An attempt to use this vehicle to launch a Chinese satellite before
Japan's first attemptŌsumi is the name of the first Japanese artificial satellite put into orbit, named after the Ōsumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. It was launched on February 11, 1970 at 04:25 UTC with a Lambda 4S-5 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical...
ended in failure on November 16, 1969.
The first DF-4 liquid-propellant with two-stage, single-warhead IRBM was tested with success on January 30, 1970. The addition of a second-stage allowed the missile to increased its range to over 4750 km.
The second satellite launch attempt on April 24, 1970 was successful. A CZ-1 was used to launch the 173 kg
Dong Fang Hong IDōng Fāng Hóng I , also known as China 1, was the People's Republic of China's first space satellite, launched successfully on April 24, 1970 as part of the PRC's Dong Fang Hong space satellite program. At 173 kg , it was heavier than the first satellites of other countries. The satellite carried...
(东方红一号 (meaning
The East Is Red"The East Is Red" is a song that was the de facto anthem of the People's Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. The lyrics of the song were attributed to Li Youyuan, a farmer from northern Shaanxi, and the melody was derived from a local folk song...
I), also known as
Mao-1. It was the heaviest first satellite placed into orbit by a nation, exceeding the combined masses of the first satellites of the other four previous countries. The third stage of the CZ-1 was specially equipped with a 40 m
2 solar reflector (观察球) deployed by the
centrifugal forceIn classical mechanics, centrifugal force is an outward force associated with curved motion, that is, rotation about some center...
developed by the spin up orbital insertion solid propellant stage. Therefore, the faint
magnitudeThe apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
5 to 8 brightness of the DFH-1 making the satellite at best barely visible with naked eyes was consequently dramatically increased to a comfortable magnitude 2 to 3.
The PRC's second satellite was launched with the last of the CZ-1 SLVs on March 3, 1971. The 221 kg ShiJian-1 (SJ-1) was equipped with a
magnetometerA magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the instrument. Magnetism varies from place to place and differences in Earth's magnetic field can be caused by the differing nature of rocks and the interaction...
and cosmic-ray/
x-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays...
detectors.
With the newly acquired confidence following the milestone technological achievement of the nuclear weapons and satellite projects (“两弹一星”), the first manned space program known as
Project 714, was officially adopted in April 1971 with the goal of sending two astronauts into space by 1973 aboard the
ShuguangShuguang One , meaning "dawn" in Mandarin, also known as Project 714 , was the first manned spacecraft proposed by the People's Republic of China during the late 1960s and early 70s that was never built. The design was for a two-man capsule, similar to the American Gemini spacecraft, that could be...
spacecraft. The first screening process for astronauts had already ended on March 15, 1971, with 19 astronauts chosen. The program would soon be cancelled due to political turmoil.
A first flight test of the
DF-5The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later...
ICBM was carried out in October 1971.
On August 10, 1972, the new heavy-lift SLV FB-1 made its maiden test flight, with only partial success.
The
CZ-2AThe Long March 2A, also known as the Chang Zheng 2A, CZ-2A and LM-2A, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Area 2B at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 2-stage rocket, and flew just once, on 5 November 1974...
launcher, originally designed to carry the Shuguang-1 spacecraft, was first tested on November 5, 1974, carrying China’s first
FSW-0Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights...
recoverable satellite, but failed.
After some redesign work, the modified
CZ-2CLong March 2C is a derivative of the Long March 2 rocket family, an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China. This vehicle was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, and the first launch occurred on November 26, 1975...
successfully launched the
FSW-0 No.1Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights...
recoverable satellite (返回式卫星) into orbit on November 26, 1975.
After expansion, the Northern Missile Test Site was upgraded as a test base in January 1976 to become the Northern Missile Test Base (华北导弹试验基地) known as
Base 25The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 25（二十五基地）, is a People's Republic of China space and defence launch facility . It is situated in Kelan County of north China's Shanxi Province and is the second of three launch sites having been founded in March 1966 and coming into full...
.
After Mao Zedong's death
Mao died on September 9, 1976. His rival,
Deng XiaopingDeng Xiaoping was a prominent Chinese politician, statesman, theorist, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng became a reformer who led China towards market economics...
, denounced during the
Cultural RevolutionThe Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was a period of widespread social and political upheaval in the People’s Republic of China between 1966 and 1976, resulting in nation-wide chaos and economic disarray.It was launched by Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party of China, on May 16,...
as
reactionaryReactionary refers to any political or social movement or ideology that seeks a return to a previous state . The term originated in the French Revolution, to denote the counter-revolutionaries who wanted to restore the real or imagined conditions of the monarchical Ancien Régime...
and therefore forced to retire from all his offices, slowly re-emerged as China's new leader in 1978. At first, new development was slowed. Then, several key projects deemed unnecessary were simply cancelled—the Fanji ABM system, the Xianfeng Anti-Missile Super Gun, the ICBM Early Warning Network 7010 Tracking Radar and the land-based high-power anti-missile laser program. Nevertheless, some development did proceed.
The first
YuanwangThe Yuanwang-class are used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China ....
-class space tracking ship was commissioned in 1979.
The first full-range test of the
DF-5The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later...
ICBM was conducted on May 18, 1980. The payload reached its target located 9300 km away in the South Pacific and retrieved five minutes later by helicopter.
Further development of the
Long March rocketA Long March rocket is any rocket in a family of expendable launch systems operated by the People's Republic of China. Development and design falls under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. In English, the rockets are abbreviated as LM- for export and CZ- within China...
series allowed the PRC to initiate a commercial launch program in 1985, which has since launched over 30 foreign satellites, primarily for
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an and
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
n interests.
The next manned space program was even more ambitious and proposed in March 1986, as
Astronautics plan 863-2. This consisted of a manned spacecraft (Project 863-204) used to ferry astronaut crews to a space station (Project 863-205). Several spaceplane designs were rejected two years later and a simpler space capsule was chosen instead. Although the project did not achieve its goals, it would ultimately evolve into the 1992
Project 921.
The China Ministry of Aerospace Industry was founded on July 5, 1988.
On September 15, 1988, a
JL-1The Julang-1, also known as the JL-1 and in US nomenclature as the CSS-N-3, was China's first solid fueled ballistic missile.-History:Research and development began in 1967 and detailed design in the early 1970s, with a first land launch 30 April 1982 and a sea launch from a Project 629A class...
SLBM was launched from a Type 092 submarine. The maximum range of the SLBM is 2150 km.
After the end of the Cold War
Along with Deng's policy of de facto restoration of
capitalismCapitalism is an economic and social system in which the means of production are privately controlled; labor, goods and capital are traded in a market; profits are distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries; and wages are paid to labor...
in the Chinese economy, implemented in incremental steps, the cultural fabric of the Chinese society was soon his next target. Therefore, names used in the space program, previously all chosen from the revolutionary history of the PRC, were soon replaced with mystical-religious ones. Thus, new
Long March carrier rockets were renamed
Divine arrow (神箭) , spacecapsule
Divine vessel (神舟) , spaceplane
Divine dragon (神龙) , land-based high-power laser
Divine light (神光) and supercomputer
Divine might (神威).
In June 1993, China Aerospace Industry Corporation (National Space Bureau) was founded in Beijing.
On February 15, 1996, during the flight of the first Long March 3 B heavy carrier rocket carrying
Intelsat 708Intelsat 708 was a Space Systems/Loral FS-1300 telecommunications satellite intended to be launched into a geostationary orbit and operated by Intelsat...
, the rocket veered off course immediately after clearing the launch platform crashing 22 seconds later. It crashed 1,850 meters away from the launch pad into a nearby mountain village, destroying 80 houses according to the official count, and killing more than 500 civilians according to unofficial Chinese sources.
On the 50th anniversary of the PRC's founding, China launched the
Shenzhou 1Shenzhou 1 launched on November 19, 1999, was the first unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. The spacecraft used was not equipped with a life support system or an emergency escape system. After orbiting the Earth 14 times, the command for retrofire was sent by the Yuanwang 3 tracking ship...
spacecraft on November 20, 1999 and recovering it after a flight of 21 hours. The country became the third country with a successful manned space program by sending an astronaut into space aboard
Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F rocket booster. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
on October 15, 2003 for more than 21 hours.
China has since turned its focus to extraterrestrial exploration starting with the Moon. The first
Chinese Lunar Exploration ProgramChinese Lunar Exploration Program is a program of robotic explorations and human missions to the Moon undertaken by China National Space Administration , People's Republic of China's space agency. It uses Chang'e lunar orbiters, rovers and soil return spacecraft and adapted Long March 3A, Long...
un-manned lunar orbiter Chang'e 1 was successfully launched on October 24, 2007, making China the fifth nation to successfully orbit the Moon.
Dual-use technologies and outer space
The PRC is a member of the
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer SpaceThe United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was established in 1958 as an ad hoc committee...
and a signatory to all
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
treaties and conventions on space. The
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government has long been resistant to the use of PRC launch services by American industry due to concerns over alleged civilian technology transfer that could have dual-use military applications to traditional allied countries such as
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
,
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
,
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
or
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
, and in 2000 announced an official embargo. Thus, financial retaliatory measures have been taken on many occasions against several Chinese space companies.
Organization
Initially the space program of the PRC was organized under the
People's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on 1 August 1927—celebrated annually as "PLA Day"—as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, particularly the Second Artillery Corps. In the 1990s, however, the PRC reorganized the space program as part of a general reorganization of the defense industry to make it resemble Western defense procurement.
The
China National Space AdministrationThe China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
, an agency within the
Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National DefenseThe Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense was a civilian ministry within the State Council of the People's Republic of China, responsible for setting policy for defense procurement. It was considered as the Chinese counterpart of DARPA of the USA...
currently headed by
Sun LaiyanSun Laiyan is the current Administrator of the China National Space Administration . He was appointed to this position in 2004.-Biography:...
, is now responsible for launches. The
Long March rocketA Long March rocket is any rocket in a family of expendable launch systems operated by the People's Republic of China. Development and design falls under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. In English, the rockets are abbreviated as LM- for export and CZ- within China...
which is produced by the
China Academy of Launch Vehicle TechnologyThe China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is the premier space launch vehicle manufacturer in China and one of the major launch service providers in the world. CALT is a subordinate of the larger China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation...
, and satellites are produced by the
China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationThe China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground...
. The latter organizations are state-owned enterprises; however, it is the intent of the PRC government that they not actively be state managed and that they behave much as private companies would in the West.
Universities & institutes
The space program also has close links with:
- School of Aerospace, Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , is a university in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Tsinghua University was established in 1911, originally under the name “Tsinghua Xuetang”. The school was renamed the "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was founded in 1925 and the name “National Tsinghua...
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education....
- Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University
- College of Aeronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology
The Harbin Institute of Technology , or HIT, is colloquially known as Hagongda . It is a technical university in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Harbin Institute of Technology is widely recognized as one of the top universities in China. It is ranked 9th nationally in China in...
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University
Space Cities
- Dongfeng space city （东风航天城），also known as Base 20（二十基地）or Dongfeng base（东风基地）
- Beijing space city （北京航天城）
- Wenchang space city （文昌航天城）
- Shanghai space city （上海航天城）
- Yantai space city （烟台航天城）
- Guizhou Aerospace Industrial Park （贵州航天高新技术产业园），also known as Base 061（航天○六一基地）, founded in 2002 after approval of Project 863 for industrialization of aerospace research centers （“国家863计划成果产业化基地”）.
Suborbital Launch Sites
- Nanhui （南汇县老港镇东进村）First successful launch of a T-7M sounding rocket on February 19, 1960.
- Base 603
Guangde Rocket Launch Site also known as Base 603 is a suborbital launch site that was operated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences located in Shijiedu , Shijie Town , Guangde County, Anhui province on the Chinese east coast...
（安徽广德誓节渡中国科学院六○三基地）Also known as Guangde Launch Site（广德发射场）. The first successful flight of a biological experimental T-7A(S1) sounding rocket transporting eight white mice was launched and recovered on July 19, 1964.
Satellite Launch Centers
The PRC operates 4 Satellite Launch Centers:
- Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility in the Gobi desert, Ejina Banner , Alashan League , Inner Mongolia, located about 1,600 km from Beijing. It is located at ....
(JSLC)
- Xichang Satellite Launch Center
The Xichang Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 27（27基地）, is a People’s Republic of China space vehicle launch facility approximately 64 km northwest of Xichang City in Sichuan Province....
(XSLC)
- Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 25（二十五基地）, is a People's Republic of China space and defence launch facility . It is situated in Kelan County of north China's Shanxi Province and is the second of three launch sites having been founded in March 1966 and coming into full...
(TSLC)
- Wenchang Satellite Launch Center
Wenchang Satellite Launch Center located near Wenchang City on the north-east coast of Hainan Island, is a former sub-orbital test center and currently under upgrade. It is the fourth and southernmost space vehicle launch facility of the People's Republic of China...
(WSLC)
Monitoring and Control Centers
- Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center
Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center 北京航天指挥控制中心 is a command center for the Chinese space program which includes the Shenzhou missions. The space center is supervised and managed by the government of the People's Republic of China. BACCC's primary functions include supervision,...
(BACCC)
- Xian Satellite Monitor and Control Center (XSCC) also known as Base 26（二十六基地）
- Fleet of six Yuanwang
The Yuanwang-class are used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China ....
-class space tracking ships.
- Data relay satellite (数据中继卫星) Tianlian I
Tianlian I , also known as Tian Lian 1, TL-1, and CTDRS-1 is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite series. Based on the DFH-3 satellite bus, it will provide communication coverage for manned Shenzhou missions, from Shenzhou 7 onwards...
(天链一号), specially developed to decrease the communication time between the Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7 was the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program. The mission, which included an extra-vehicular activity carried out by crewmembers Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, marked the commencement of the second phase of the Chinese government's Project 921.The Shenzhou...
spaceship and the ground, it will also improve the amount of data that can be transferred. The current orbit coverage of 12 percent will thus be increased to a total of about 60 percent.
- Deep Space Tracking Network composed with radio antennas in Beijing
Beijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
, ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...
, KunmingKunming is a prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province, in southwestern China. Because of its year-round temperate climate, Kunming is often called the "Spring City" or "City of Eternal Spring" ....
, Urumuqi and forming a 3000 km VLBI（甚长基线干涉）.
Domestic Tracking Stations
- New integrated land-based space monitoring and control network stations, forming a large triangle with Kashi
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China...
in the north-west of China, JiamusiJiamusi is a prefecture-level city in the province of Heilongjiang, in the People's Republic of China, located on the riverside of the middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River...
in the north-east and SanyaSanya is a city in southern Hainan province of China. It has a population of 536,000 as of 2006. After Haikou, the capital, it is the second most populous city of the island. Sanya is renowned for its tropical climate and has emerged as a popular tourist destination. It is also the focus city for...
in the south.
- Weinan Station
- Changchun Station
- Qingdao Station
- Zhanyi Station
- Nanhai Station
- Tianshan Station
- Xiamen Station
- Lushan Station
- Jiamusi Station
- Dongfeng Station
- Hetian Station
Overseas Tracking Stations
- Karachi Station
- Tarawa Station
- Malindi Station
- Swakopmund Station
Plus shared space tracking facilities with France, Brazil, Sweden and Australia.
Project 714
As the
space raceThe Space Race was an informal competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, as each side tried to match or better the other's accomplishments in exploring outer space...
between the two superpowers reached its climax with the conquest of the Moon, Chairman Mao and
Zhou EnlaiZhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
decided in July 14, 1967 that the PRC should not be left behind, and therefore initiated China's own manned space program. The top secret
Project 714 aimed to put two people into space by 1973 with the
ShuguangShuguang One , meaning "dawn" in Mandarin, also known as Project 714 , was the first manned spacecraft proposed by the People's Republic of China during the late 1960s and early 70s that was never built. The design was for a two-man capsule, similar to the American Gemini spacecraft, that could be...
spacecraft. Nineteen PLAAF pilots were selected for this goal on March 1971. The Shuguang-1 spacecraft to be launched with the CZ-2A rocket was designed to carry a crew of two. The program was officially cancelled on May 13, 1972 for economic reasons, though the internal politics of the
Cultural RevolutionThe Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was a period of widespread social and political upheaval in the People’s Republic of China between 1966 and 1976, resulting in nation-wide chaos and economic disarray.It was launched by Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party of China, on May 16,...
likely motivated the closure.
The short-lived
second manned program was based on the successful implementation of landing technology (third in the World after USSR and USA) by
FSW satelliteFanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights...
s. It was announced few times in 1978 with the open publishing of some details including photos, but then was abruptly canceled in 1980. It has been argued that the second manned program was created solely for propaganda purposes, and was never intended to produce results. In the same time, in the West were the rumours that after dozen of mostly successful launches of FB-1 and CZ-2 rockets and 4 successful launches of FSW (last one in January 26, 1978 claimed as dress rehearsal) China made in December, 1978 (or on January 7, 1979 according to another unconfirmed sources) the first attempt of launch of manned version of FSW spacecraft (that, probably, was designed initially for manned use), but due to fail with loss of astronaut this program was closed and the FSW satellites (redisigned for unmanned goals) retrived a flights in 1982 only.
Project 863
A new manned space program was proposed by the
Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica , is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China...
in March 1986, as
Astronautics plan 863-2. This consisted of a manned spacecraft (Project 863-204) used to ferry astronaut crews to a space station (Project 863-205). In September of that year, astronauts in training were presented by the Chinese media. The various proposed manned spacecrafts were mostly spaceplanes. Project 863 ultimately evolved into the 1992
Project 921.
Space capsule
In 1992, authorization and funding was given for the first phase of
Project 921, which was a plan to launch a manned spacecraft. The
Shenzhou programThe Shenzhou program is a manned spaceflight initiative by the People's Republic of China. The program put the first Chinese citizen into orbit on 15 October 2003....
had four unmanned test flights and two manned missions. The first one was
Shenzhou 1Shenzhou 1 launched on November 19, 1999, was the first unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. The spacecraft used was not equipped with a life support system or an emergency escape system. After orbiting the Earth 14 times, the command for retrofire was sent by the Yuanwang 3 tracking ship...
on November 20, 1999. On January 9, 2001
Shenzhou 2Shenzhou 2 launched on January 9, 2001, was the second unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. Inside the reentry capsule were a monkey, a dog and a rabbit in a test of the spaceship's life support systems...
launched carrying test animals.
Shenzhou 3Shenzhou 3 launched on March 25, 2002, was the third unmanned launch of the People's Republic of China's Shenzhou spacecraft. This was the first Shenzhou spacecraft launched that could have actually carried a human cargo and as such the main objective of the mission was to test the systems...
and
Shenzhou 4Shenzhou 4 launched on December 29, 2002, was the fourth unmanned launch of the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft. Carried on board were two dummy astronauts to test the life support systems....
were launched in 2002, carrying test dummies. Following these was the successful
Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F rocket booster. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
, China's first manned mission in space on October 15, 2003, which carried
Yang LiweiYáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the space program of China, and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made the PRC the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:Born in Suizhong County of Huludao...
in orbit for 21 hours and made China the third nation to launch a human into orbit.
Shenzhou 6Shenzhou 6 was the second human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on October 12, 2005 on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou spacecraft carried a crew of Fèi Jùnlóng and Niè Hǎishèng for five days in low Earth orbit...
followed two years later ending the first phase of the Project 921. Missions are launched on the
Long March 2FThe Long March 2F , also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian, is a Chinese manned orbital carrier rocket. Designed to launch manned Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a man-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle...
rocket from the
Jiuquan Satellite Launch CenterJiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility in the Gobi desert, Ejina Banner , Alashan League , Inner Mongolia, located about 1,600 km from Beijing. It is located at ....
.
Space laboratory
The second phase of the Project 921 started with
Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7 was the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program. The mission, which included an extra-vehicular activity carried out by crewmembers Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, marked the commencement of the second phase of the Chinese government's Project 921.The Shenzhou...
, China's first spacewalk mission. Then, two manned missions will be conducted to the first Chinese space laboratory. The PRC initially designed the
Shenzhou spacecraftShenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft", "Divine Vessel of the Gods", "Magic Boat" or similar, and is identically pronounced, though differently written, with a...
with docking technologies imported from Russia, therefore compatible with the
International Space StationThe International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...
(ISS). The
Shenzhou 8Shenzhou 8 is a planned unmanned flight of China's Shenzhou program, that is scheduled for launch in 2011. According to the Chinese space agency , the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft will be remotely docked with the Tiangong 1 space module...
unmanned space laboratory module, the
Shenzhou 9Shenzhou 9 is a planned manned flight of China's Shenzhou spacecraft that is scheduled for launch in 2011, following the unmanned Shenzhou 8 mission earlier in the same year...
unmanned Shenzhou cargo and a manned
Shenzhou 10Shenzhou 10 is a planned manned spaceflight of the People's Republic of China's Shenzhou spacecraft. This conventional Shenzhou will carry a crew of three astronauts...
will be docked in late 2010 to form a first step small orbital space laboratory complex. This first step will allow China to master key technologies prerequisites for the following larger permanent space station. The Shenzhou 11 mission will carry the second and last crew to the complex, concluding the second phase of Project 921.
Space station
A larger basic permanent space station (基本型空间站) will be the third and last phase of Project 921. The total mass will be under 100 tons, with a core module (核心舱) exceeding 20 tons which will serve as a living quarter for the permanent crew. It will also include a Shenzhou cargo (货运飞船), a manned
ShenzhouShenzhou may refer to:*Shenzhou spacecraft, spacecraft from China which first carried a Chinese astronaut into orbit in 2003*Shenzhou program, a manned spaceflight initiative by the People's Republic of China.*Shenzhou City, in Hengshui, Hebei, China...
and two other laboratory modules (实验舱). The scale will not be larger than the Soviet Mir space station.
In addition, this could also be the beginning of China's manned international cooperation, which existence was officially disclosed for the first time after the launch of the
Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 7 was the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program. The mission, which included an extra-vehicular activity carried out by crewmembers Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, marked the commencement of the second phase of the Chinese government's Project 921.The Shenzhou...
spacecraft. The participation of friendly nations such as
IranThe Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is the newest but one of the active participant of Asian space race and new member of space club since 2009....
, Pakistan, or
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
could be expected, as illustrated by commemorative stamps depicting
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1Kwangmyŏngsŏng is a class of experimental satellite developed by North Korea and named after a Chinese-language poem by Kim Il-sung...
the first North Korean satellite orbiting along
Shenzhou 5Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F rocket booster. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
behind the leaders of both nations.
Moon landing
In February 2004, the PRC formally started the implementation phase of its unmanned
MoonThe Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is , about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The common centre of mass of the system is located at about —a quarter the Earth's...
exploration project. According to
Sun LaiyanSun Laiyan is the current Administrator of the China National Space Administration . He was appointed to this position in 2004.-Biography:...
, administrator of the
China National Space AdministrationThe China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
, the project will involve three phases: orbiting the Moon; landing; and returning samples. The first phase planned to spend 1.4 billion
renminbiThe renminbi is the currency of the People's Republic of China , whose principal unit is the yuan , subdivided into 10 jiao , each of 10 fen . The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC. The ISO 4217 abbreviation is CNY, although it is also commonly...
(approx. US$170 million) to orbit a satellite around the Moon before 2007, which is ongoing. Phase two involves sending a lander before 2010. Phase three involves collecting lunar soil samples before 2020.
On November 27, 2005, the deputy commander of the manned spaceflight program announced that the PRC planned to complete a space station and a manned mission to the Moon by 2020, assuming funding was approved by the government. Towards that end they intended to perfect space walking and docking by 2012.
On December 14, 2005, it was reported "an effort to launch lunar orbiting satellites will be supplanted in 2007 by a program aimed at accomplishing an unmanned lunar landing. A program to return unmanned space vehicles from the moon will begin in 2012 and last for five years, until the manned program gets underway" in 2017, with a manned Moon landing some time after that.
http://www.cio-today.com/news/China-To-Send-People-to-Moon/story.xhtml?story_id=032001DRNFR4
Nonetheless, the decision to develop a totally new
moon rocketA moon rocket is a space launch vehicle designed to launch payloads to Earth's Moon.Current/Past Manned moon rockets / man-rated moon rockets* Saturn V - the Apollo program launcher for the manned moon landings...
in the 1962 Soviet UR-700M-class (Project Aelita) able to launch a 500 tons payload in LTO and a more modest 50 tons LTO payload LV has been discussed in a 2006 conference by academician Zhang Guitian (张贵田), a liquid propellant rocket engine speciallist, who developed the CZ-2 and CZ-4A rockets engines.
On June 22, 2006, Long Lehao, deputy chief architect of the lunar probe project, laid out a schedule for China's lunar exploration. He set 2024 as the date of China's first moonwalk
http://news.com.com/Expert+China+could+put+a+man+on+the+moon+by+2024/2100-11397_3-6085633.html.
As clearly shown in the official
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program insignia, representing a caligraphed
月, ideogram for the Moon, in the shape of a nascent lunar crescent, with two human footsteps at its center, the ultimate objective of the program is to establish a permanent human presence on the natural satellite.
Yang LiweiYáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the space program of China, and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made the PRC the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:Born in Suizhong County of Huludao...
declared at the 16th Human in Space Symposium of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in Beijing, on May 22, 2007 that building a lunar base was a crucial step to realize a flight to Mars and farther planets.
According to practice, since the whole project is only at a very early preparatory researches phase, no official manned Moon program has been announced yet by the authorities. But its existence is nonetheless revealed by regular intentional leaks in the media. A typical example is the Lunar Roving Vehicle (月球车) that was shown on a Chinese TV channel（东方卫视）during the 2008
May DayInternational Workers' Day is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement...
celebrations.
Mission to Mars and beyond
Sun LaiyanSun Laiyan is the current Administrator of the China National Space Administration . He was appointed to this position in 2004.-Biography:...
, administrator of the
China National Space AdministrationThe China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
, said on July 20, 2006, that China would start deep space exploration focusing on
MarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also referred to as the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance, due to iron oxide prevalent on its surface....
over the next five years, during the 11th Five-Year (2006-2010) Program period.
The first unmanned Mars exploration program should take place between the 2014-2033 period, followed by a manned phase in 2040-2060.
Moreover, in order to make manned flight in deep space toward Mars safer, a
space weatherSpace weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. It is distinct from the concept of weather within a planetary atmosphere, and deals with phenomena involving ambient plasma, magnetic fields, radiation and other matter in space...
forecast system will be completed by 2012 with the
KuafuKuafu project , is a Chinese space project to establish a space weather forecast system composed of three satellites to be completed by 2012. One of these satellites will be placed at the Lagrangian Point L1 and the other two in polar orbits....
mission satellites placed at the Lagrangian Point L1.
The Chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft has stated in 2006 in an interview that:
Goals
PRC's space program has several goals. The China National Space Administration policy white paper lists short term goals as:
- build a long term earth observation system
- set up an independent satellite telecommunications network
- establish an independent satellite navigation and positioning system
- provide commercial launch services
- set up a remote sensing system
- study space science such as microgravity, space materials, life sciences, and astronomy
- plan for exploration of the moon
Among their stated longer term goals are:
- improve their standing in the world of space science
- establish a manned space station
- manned missions to the moon
- establish a manned lunar base
Satellites and science
- Space-Based ASAT System Small and nano-satellites developed by the Small Satellite Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Space Technology
- Double Star Mission
Double Star is a joint satellite based space mission by the China National Space Administration and the European Space Agency . It is the first space mission launched by China to investigate Earth's magnetosphere. It consists of two satellites: an Equatorial satellite and Polar satellite...
joint with ESA
- Dong Fang Hong
China is also eager to provide its Dong Fang Hong technology as the basis for satellites designed, manufactured and launched by China for international customers, as it did for Nigeria with the NigComSat-1 whose lifespan was cut short due to communications and power problems.- Satellites launched...
series of satellites
- Tianlian 2 (天链二号) Next generation data relay satellite (DRS) system based on the DFH-4 satellite bus, with two satellites providing up to 85% coverage.
- Beidou navigation system
The Beidou Navigation System or Beidou Satellite Navigation and Positioning System is a project by China to develop an independent satellite navigation system. The current Beidou-1 system is experimental and has limited coverage and application...
or Compass Navigation Satellite System, composed of 60 to 70 satellites, during the "11th Five-Year Plan" period (2006-2010)
- Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects such as galaxies, stars, planets, exoplanets, and the interstellar medium, as well as their...
research, with the launch of the world's largest Solar Space Telescope in 2008, and Project 973 Space Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope (硬X射线调制望远镜HXMT) by 2010.
- Kuafu
Kuafu project , is a Chinese space project to establish a space weather forecast system composed of three satellites to be completed by 2012. One of these satellites will be placed at the Lagrangian Point L1 and the other two in polar orbits....
mission satellites for space weather forecast, will be completed by 2012
- Deep Space Tracking Network with the completion of the FAST
FAST, or the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, first proposed in 1994, is a radio telescope to be built by 2013 in a natural basin（大窝凼洼地）, Pingtang County 平塘县 near Duyun, capital of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture 黔南布依族苗族自治州, Guizhou Province 贵州, southwest China .It...
, the world largest single dish radio antenna of 500 m in Guizhou, and a 3000 km VLBI radio antenna
Satellite Launch Center
- Hainan Spaceport
Wenchang Satellite Launch Center located near Wenchang City on the north-east coast of Hainan Island, is a former sub-orbital test center and currently under upgrade. It is the fourth and southernmost space vehicle launch facility of the People's Republic of China...
Fourth and southernmost space center, will be upgraded to suit the new CZ-5Long March 5 is a Chinese next-generation heavy lift launch system that is currently under development by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology . Currently, six CZ-5 vehicle configurations are planned for different missions, with a maximum payload capacity of 25,000 kg to LEO and...
Heavy ELVELV or ELVs may refer to:*Elfin Cove Seaplane Base, an airport in Alaska that has IATA code ELV*End of Life Vehicles Directive, a European Union directive to facilitate recycling and reuse of old automobiles...
and manned lunar missions
Launch vehicles
- LM-5D
- Air-Launched SLV Able to place a 50 kilogram plus payload to 500 km SSO
A sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
- Kaituozhe-2
- Kaituozhe-1
The Kaituozhe-1 or is a Chinese commercial launch vehicle. Small and solid-fueled, its design was based on the road mobile DF-31 ICBM with an additional upper stage. The vehicle has performed two flights, the first in September 2002 and the second exactly one year later...
(开拓者一号), KT-1A (开拓者一号甲), KT-2 (开拓者二号) , KT-2A (开拓者一二甲) New class of all-solid orbital launch vehicles
- Kaituozhe-1B (开拓者一号乙) With addition of two solid boosters
- CZ-1D
The Long March 1 rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.It includes two models: Long March 1 and Long March 1D....
Based on a CZ-1The Long March 1 rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.It includes two models: Long March 1 and Long March 1D....
, but with a new N2O4/UDMH second stage
- CZ-2E(A)
Long March 2 rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.-History:Development and design falls mostly under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The rockets are, confusingly, abbreviated both LM-2 family and CZ-2 family in...
Intended for launch of Chinese space station modules. Payload capacity up to 14 tons in LEO, 9000 (kN) liftoff thrust developed by 12 rocket engines, with enlarged fairing of 5.20 m in diameter and length of 12.39 m to accommodate large spacecraft
- CZ-2F/G
Long March 2 rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.-History:Development and design falls mostly under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The rockets are, confusingly, abbreviated both LM-2 family and CZ-2 family in...
Modified CZ-2F without escape tower specially used for launching unmanned mission such as Shenzhou cargo and space laboratory module, with payload capacity up to 11.2 tons in LEO
- CZ-3B(A) More powerful Long March rockets using larger-size liquid propellant strap-on motors, with payload capacity up to 13 tons in LEO
- CZ-3C
The Long March 3C , also known as the Chang Zheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. A 3-stage rocket with two strapon liquid rocket boosters, it is a member of the Long March 3 rocket family, and...
Launch vehicle combining CZ-3B core with two boosters from CZ-2ELong March 2 rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.-History:Development and design falls mostly under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The rockets are, confusingly, abbreviated both LM-2 family and CZ-2 family in...
- Chang Zheng 5
Long March 5 is a Chinese next-generation heavy lift launch system that is currently under development by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology . Currently, six CZ-5 vehicle configurations are planned for different missions, with a maximum payload capacity of 25,000 kg to LEO and...
Second generation ELV with more efficient and non toxic propellents (25 tonnes in LEO)
- Chang Zheng 6 or SLV
SLV may refer to:*El Salvador*Slovenian language*Satellite Launch Vehicle, an Indian space launcher*State Library of Victoria*iShares Silver Trust, an Exchange-traded fund with the New York Stock Exchange symbol SLV...
Small Launch Vehicle, with short launch preparation period, low cost and high reliability, to meet the launch need of small satellites up to 500 kg to 700 km SSO, first flight for 2010; with Fan Ruixiang (范瑞祥) as Chief designer of the project
- Chang Zheng 7 Used for Phase 4 of Lunar Exploration Program (嫦娥-4 工程), that is permanent base (月面驻留), expected for 2024; Second generation Heavy ELV for lunar and deep space trajectory injection (70 tonnes in LEO), capable of supporting a Soviet L1/L3
The Soviet Union competed with the United States to be the first to land a man on the Moon in the 1960s. The Soviet Moonshot program ultimately consisted of two separate manned programs: a lunar flyby program using a UR-500K / L1 combination, and a lunar landing program using a N1 / L3 combination...
-like lunar landing mission
- Project 921-3
Project 921-3 is Manned Spacecraft sub-system of Project 921. The term 921-3 is often used for the Chinese space shuttle program.-History:The Chinese National Manned Space Program was given the designation of Project 921 in 1992...
Space ShuttleThe Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
— Second generation manned spacecraft Shenlong Spaceplane
- HTS Maglev Launch Assist Space Shuttle New second generation manned reusable spacecraft
- Moon rocket
A moon rocket is a space launch vehicle designed to launch payloads to Earth's Moon.Current/Past Manned moon rockets / man-rated moon rockets* Saturn V - the Apollo program launcher for the manned moon landings...
Able to launch a 50 tons payload in LTO, in the Soviet UR-700M-class, development discussed in a 2006 conference by academician Zhang Guitian
Space exploration
- Project 921-1 — Shenzhou spacecraft
Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft", "Divine Vessel of the Gods", "Magic Boat" or similar, and is identically pronounced, though differently written, with a...
- Project 921-2
Project 921-2 is the name given by the People's Republic of China in 1992 for plans to create a manned space station. China will launch a small 8.5 ton space laboratory called Tiangong 1 in 2010. Following Tiangong 1, a more advanced space laboratory complete with cargo ship called Tiangong 2 will...
— Chinese Space Laboratory and Chinese Permanent Space Station short term and then permanent occupation
- Shenzhou Cargo (货运飞船)— unmanned version of the Shenzhou spacecraft to resupply the Chinese Permanent Space Station
- Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program is a program of robotic explorations and human missions to the Moon undertaken by China National Space Administration , People's Republic of China's space agency. It uses Chang'e lunar orbiters, rovers and soil return spacecraft and adapted Long March 3A, Long...
- First phase lunar program (嫦娥-1 工程) — launched in 2007 with CZ-3A: two unmanned lunar orbital probes
- Second phase lunar program (嫦娥-2 工程)— to be launched in 2012 with CZ-5/E:first Moon landing of a couple of rovers
- Third phase lunar program (嫦娥-3 工程) — to be launched in 2017 with CZ-5/E: automated Moon landing and return sample
- Fourth phase lunar program (嫦娥-4 工程) — to be launched in 2024 with CZ-7: manned mission and permanent bases (月面驻留)
- Chinese Mars exploration program
Little is known of the Chinese Mars exploration program. While the Moon is the first priority, there are plans for Martian exploration that follow upon the work done in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program...
— Yinghuo-1 orbiter scheduled for launch in October 2009 in the joint Phobos-GruntPhobos-Grunt is a planned Russian sample return mission to Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. The Chinese Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1 will be sent together with the mission. Scheduled for launch in 2011, Phobos-Grunt will be the first Russian interplanetary mission since the failed Mars 96 mission...
mission with Russia. Further planned missions include roverThere are two main types of rovers.A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other astronomical body. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots...
landers and possible manned missions in the far future. Anatoly PerminovDr. Prof. Anatoly Nikolayevich Perminov is a Russian rocket scientist and a mechanical engineer. He is the current director of the Russian Federal Space Agency.-Career:...
, head of the Russian Space Agency has revealed in September 2006 in RIA Novosti that China was about to sign a contract by the end of 2006 to participate in a Russian projectPhobos-Grunt is a planned Russian sample return mission to Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. The Chinese Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1 will be sent together with the mission. Scheduled for launch in 2011, Phobos-Grunt will be the first Russian interplanetary mission since the failed Mars 96 mission...
to bring soil back to EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
from PhobosPhobos is the larger and closer of two small moons of Mars, the other being Deimos. It is named after the Greek god Phobos , a son of Ares...
, one of Mars two moons. The mission will also collect samples on Mars, according to Xinhua.
- Deep space exploration — spacefaring through the entire Solar system
The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by gravity, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago...
Research
The Center for Space Science and Applied Research (CSSAR), was founded in 1987 by merging the former Institute of Space Physics (i.e. the Institute of Applied Geophysics founded in 1958) and the Center for Space Science and Technology (founded in 1978). The research fields of CSSAR mainly cover 1. Space Engineering Technology; 2. Space Weather Exploration, Research, and Forecasting; 3. Microwave Remote Sensing and Information Technology.
See also
- Harbin Institute of Technology
The Harbin Institute of Technology , or HIT, is colloquially known as Hagongda . It is a technical university in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Harbin Institute of Technology is widely recognized as one of the top universities in China. It is ranked 9th nationally in China in...
- Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, now known as Beihang University is a public university located in Beijing, China....
- Chinese women in space
External links
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