China is investing billions of dollars to keep up with, or even exceed, the space development of exploration, research and satellite launches carried out by the most prominent players in the space field (the United States, Russia and Europe), at a time when projects related to the Chinese “space dream” are multiplying under the reign of President Xi Jinping.
Here are China’s main milestones in space:
Mao’s ambition
In 1957, the Soviet Union put the first man-made spacecraft, Sputnik, into orbit around the Earth. Then the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, assured his compatriots: “We will also build satellites!
The first step towards this goal was achieved in 1970, when Beijing launched its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 (Red East)-1, after a song with lyrics praising Mao was beamed into space.
The first astronaut
However, the Asian country only sent the first Chinese, Yang Liwei, into space in 2003. This astronaut completed 14 orbits around the Earth in 21 hours.
With this space mission, China became the third country after the Soviet Union and the United States to send a human into space on its own.
Two experimental models
China was deliberately excluded from the International Space Station, which houses Americans, Russians, Europeans, Japanese and Canadians. Since then, Beijing has been trying to build its own station.
To achieve this goal, it first launched a small space model, “Tianggong 1”, which it put into orbit in 2011. It has been used to train astronauts and conduct medical experiments.
Tiangong 1 ceased operation in 2016. This “laboratory” was considered a first step for the construction of a real space station.
In 2016, Beijing launched the second “Tiangong 2” space model, which was used by astronauts to implement spacecraft docking and docking technology.
Lunar robot
In 2013, China landed a small remote-controlled “Jade Rabbit” robot on the surface of the moon, which was specifically tasked with taking pictures. Although it initially malfunctioned, it was reactivated and performed missions on the lunar surface for 31 months.
China intends to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and build a base there, which was reaffirmed by China’s manned space mission agency this week.
Chinese GPS
The Chinese space program came to a halt in the summer of 2017 with the failure of the launch of the “Long March 5” rocket, which is of great importance because it can carry heavy equipment necessary for certain space missions.
This setback caused the postponement of the “Change-5” mission, which was finally launched in 2020, and resulted in bringing samples from the moon back to Earth, in a process unprecedented in more than 40 years.
And China achieved another feat in January 2019 with a global precedent represented by the landing of a remote-controlled robot (“Jade Rabbit 2”) on the dark side of the moon.
In 2020, Beijing launched a satellite aimed at finalizing the Beidou navigation system (the competitor of the American GPS).
Mars as target
In July 2020, Chinese engineers sent the Tianwen-1 probe to Mars carrying a wheeled remote-controlled robot named Zurong, which landed on Mars a few months earlier than expected.
Scientists have raised the possibility of sending astronauts to Mars at a later stage.
Space station
In 2022, China successfully launched the last part of its under-construction Tiangong space station.
Tiangong is supposed to swim in space in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 to 450 km, for at least ten years, to allow China to maintain a long-term human presence in space.
Crews will be sent permanently to ensure the continuity of the human presence in this orbital laboratory, and will conduct scientific experiments and test new technological innovations.
This Chinese station is equipped with advanced scientific equipment, including the “first cold atom clock system” dedicated to space, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Beijing does not intend to use the station for cooperation with other countries, as is the case with the International Space Station, but it confirms that it is open to cooperation, including the scope has not been determined.
The next mission in Tiangong should be launched in October.
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