Having been absent from the space "arena," China is now one of the few countries to have successfully sent people into space and launched spacecraft to other planets.
The Zhu Rong robot and China's Mars landing site. Photo: CNSA
In 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the world by successfully launching the first artificial satellite into space, Sputnik 1. At that time, the late Chinese President Mao Zedong reportedly lamented: "China can't even send a potato into space." Back then, China was completely absent from space.
In 2023, after more than six decades of pursuing its "space dream," China amazed the world by successfully launching numerous satellites, building its own space station, and sending humans into Earth orbit, as well as landing robots on other celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars. Today, China is an indispensable name when discussing the world's leading space powers.
The development of China's space program.
In 1957, Mao Zedong announced that China would also launch its own satellite. With the support of Soviet technology and scientists like Qian Xuesen, who had studied and worked in the United States, the country built an ambitious space program.
The first significant milestone occurred in 1970, when China launched its first artificial satellite, Dongfanghong 1, from the Jiuquan launch center in Gansu province. Despite lacking sophisticated technology, this satellite helped China become the fifth country to put a satellite into orbit after the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and Japan.
Encouraged by the success of Dongfang Hong 1, China announced plans to send two astronauts into space in 1973. The plan, codenamed Project 714, was officially approved in 1971. However, the project was canceled due to political instability at the time.
Eastern Red 1 satellite. Photo: Xinhua
By the 1980s, China began launching satellites regularly and entered the commercial market, providing satellite launch services to other companies and countries at a low cost.
In 1992, China announced Project 921, aiming to launch a manned spacecraft into space and return it to Earth. This goal was achieved in 2003, making China the third country after the United States and the Soviet Union to use its own rockets to send people into space. At that time, astronaut Yang Liwei completed a space journey of approximately 21 hours aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft.
In the following years, as the Chinese economy grew rapidly, the government began investing heavily in its space program. According to SCMP , spending on spacecraft research and development increased from $22.6 million in 2000 to $433.4 million in 2014.
Over the past decade or so, China has consistently achieved success, attracting significant global attention. In 2013, the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover from the Chang'e 3 spacecraft landed on the Moon, becoming China's first rover to do so, and the first in the world to land on the Moon in nearly four decades. In 2018, China launched Chang'e 4, carrying the Yutu 2 rover. In 2019, Yutu 2 successfully landed on the far side of the Moon, making China the first nation in history to achieve this feat.
2020 marked several significant milestones in China's space exploration. In December, the Chang'e 5 spacecraft landed on the Moon and collected soil and rock samples to bring back to Earth. This was the first successful return of lunar samples in 44 years (the previous successful collection was by the Soviet Union's Luna-24 spacecraft in 1976). In July, China launched Tianwen-1, its first spacecraft to reach another planet. The spacecraft landed on Mars in May 2021, making China the second country to achieve this feat, after the United States.
In 2022, China completed Tiangong, a space station it began developing in 2011. The space station currently consists of three modules and is operated by a rotating crew of three. When the International Space Station (ISS) ceases operation, expected in 2030, Tiangong could become the only space station in orbit dedicated to scientific research.
A simulation of the Tiangong space station operating in Earth orbit. Photo: CMSEO
China's future space exploration plans
One of China's most prominent space projects is to send humans to the Moon before the end of 2030. "The project will also aim for short-term habitation on the lunar surface, sample collection, and research," said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of China's Crewed Space Administration, following the launch of the Shenzhou 16 crewed spacecraft in May of this year.
Another important project is cooperation with Russia to build a base on the Moon. According to Associate Professor Svetla Ben-Itzhak at Air University (Alabama, USA), the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) will be located at or near the Moon's south pole. Crewed missions, both long-term and short-term, related to the base are expected to be deployed in the early 2030s.
"Some of China's goals include exploring the Moon to study the prospects of exploiting energy and materials on the Moon, training humans to leave Earth, establishing long-term research stations, developing products and industries in outer space, and creating a self-sufficient extraterrestrial lifeline," Ben-Itzhak told the Indian Express.
Other future missions include expanding the Tiangong space station, launching another spacecraft to Mars, and aiming for launches to Jupiter and Saturn.
The impact of China's space program on the world.
China's spectacular space achievements actually benefit all of humanity, said Dumitru Prunariu, the first and only Romanian astronaut to fly into space, at the Asia's Century international conference in July 2022.
In 2021, China spent $16 billion on its space program, second only to the US with a budget of $60 billion – an impressive figure. Meanwhile, India was among the top seven countries spending the most on space. "Regional security dynamics and China's newfound capabilities in space could spur India to further develop its own space capabilities," Ben-Itzhak shared in the Indian Express.
When the International Space Station (ISS) retires in the next few years, Tiangong could become its only remaining operational station. Tiangong is expected to host over 1,000 scientific experiments throughout its operational lifespan, including an international project between the CMSA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Operations (UNOOSA). The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has expressed willingness to cooperate internationally and allow non-Chinese astronauts to participate in future missions on the station. In addition to welcoming foreign astronauts, the station may even open to tourists by the end of this decade.
China is also collaborating with Russia to build ILRS – a human base on the Moon. CNSA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos have invited other countries to join the program. If successful, ILRS would be a significant milestone in humanity's journey to explore other celestial bodies.
Thu Thao ( Compiled )
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