The space program of the People's Republic of China (PRC) began in 1968 and was an outgrowth of PRC's attempt to develop an indigenous nuclear deterrent and delivery system after the Sino-Soviet split in 1960. PRC's first satellite, Dong Fang Hong I (The East Is Red I), was launched in 1970. There were over 50 Dong Fang Hong satellites launched over the next 30 years. The manned space program began in 1968, and China became the third country to put a human in space in 2003.
History and Recent Developments
PRC's manned space program started as early as 1968, when it was founded by Tsien Hsue-Shen of the Space Flight Medical Research Centre. Project 714 aimed to put two astronauts into space by 1973 with the Shuguang-1 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 astronauts. The program was officially cancelled on May 13, 1972, for economic reasons.
In 1992, authorization and funding was given for Project 921, which was a plan to launch a manned spacecraft. The Shenzhou program had four unmanned test flights. The first one was Shenzhou 1 on November 20, 1999. On January 9, 2001 Shenzhou 2 launched carrying test animals. Shenzhou 3 and Shenzhou 4 were launched in 2002, carrying test dummies. Following these was the successful Shenzhou 5, China's first manned mission in space on October 15, 2003, carrying Yang Liwei, making China the third nation to launch a human into orbit. Shenzhou 6 followed two years later and at least two more Shenzhou missions are planned, and will include multiple astronauts (sometimes called taikonauts), space walks and docking. Missions are launched on the Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
In February 2004, the PRC formally started the implementation phase of its unmanned Moon exploration project. According to Sun Laiyan, vice-administrator of the China National Space Administration, the project will involve three phases: orbiting the Moon; landing; and returning samples. The first phase will spend 1.4 billion renminbi (approx. US$170 million) to orbit a satellite around the Moon before 2007. Phase two involves a lander before 2010. Phase three involves collecting lunar soil samples before 2020.
On November 27, 2005, it was announced by the deputy commander of the manned spaceflight program that they 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. However, it seemed that funding for the necessary Chang Zheng 5 series of rockets was still waiting to be approved.
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. [1] In February 2006, China announced that the Shenzhou 7 mission would be delayed from 2007 to 2008 to allow additional development time for the spacesuit for the planned first Chinese spacewalk.
Organization
Initially the space program of the PRC was organized under the People's Liberation Army, particularly the Second Artillery Corps. However, the space program of the PRC was reorganized in the 1990s as part of a general reorganization of the defense industry of the PRC to make it resemble Western defense procurement.
The agency responsible for the launches is the China National Space Administration, an agency within the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. The workhorse of the program is the Long March rocket which is produced by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and satellites are produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. 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 corporations would in the West.
The space program also has close links with Tsinghua University and Harbin Institute of Technology.
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.
Projects
Satellites and science
Launch vehicles
- Kaituozhe-1 New all-solid orbital launch vehicle
- Long March rockets (Chang Zheng 1 - 4)
- Chang Zheng 5 Second generation ELV with more efficient and non toxic propellents (25 tonnes in LEO)
- Chang Zheng 6 Second generation Heavy ELV for lunar and deepspace trajectory injection (70 tonnes in LEO)
- Hainan Spaceport Fourth and southernmost space center, manned grade, suited for the new CZ-5 Heavy ELV
Space exploration
Astronauts
PRC's first astronauts selection for the Project 714:
The selection process was completed on March 15, 1971, with 19 selected PLAAF pilots.
PRC's 1996 Selection Group:
Two astronauts selected for the Project 921, trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia to later return to the PRC as astronauts trainers.
Only a few astronauts have been in space:
- Fèi Jùnlóng - Chinese astronaut (yuhangyuan) detachment January 1998
- Niè Hǎishèng - first Chinese astronaut (yuhangyuan) detachment and back up in Shenzhou 5
- Yáng Lìwěi - first Chinese astronaut (yuhangyuan) detachment
The remainder await their turn:
- Zhai Zhigang - first Chinese astronaut (yuhangyuan) detachment and back up in Shenzhou 5
- Chen Quan - selected in January 1998
- Deng Qingming - from Jiangxi Province and PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Jing Haipeng - born October 1966 and PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Liu Buoming - born September 1966 and PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Liu Wang - born in Shanxi Province and PLAFF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Pan Zhanchun - PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Zhang Xiaoguan - born in Liaoning Province and PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
- Zhao Chuandong - PLAAF pilot; selected in January 1998
See also
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_program_of_China under GFDL
