The Chinese, known for their expertise in various technological innovations since ancient times, saw the birth of their space program in 1956 under the guidance of Tsien Hsue-Shen. From then on, the program metamorphosed through stages of development and other fields resulting in a comprehensive system of research, design, production and testing.

For centuries after the invention of the black powder rocket the Chinese made no great efforts in space technology, but the return of Tsien from the United States helped the nation catch up with other nations of the world. The industry grew by struggling with a negligible industrial infrastructure and the absence of scientific and technological support.

Within 50 years, China found itself in a strong position in manned spacecraft, satellite recovery, multi-satellite launches by a single rocket, cryogenic propulsion, strap-on boosters, geostationary satellites, satellite tracking and control, remote sensing, communications, navigation satellites and micro-gravity experiments.

One of the pioneers of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the United States, Tsien returned to China and embarked on the tough task of making China self-reliant in space technology. Indigenous technologies in metallurgy, machinery and electronics had to be built. The former Soviet Union provided the required rocket and nuclear technology and also trained students during the beginning stages.

Tsien set up the Space Flight Medical Research Center to facilitate manned flights with the launch of the Shuguang-1 project to put a Chinese man into space. The first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, was launched in 1970 marking China’s entry into the group of the five elite countries that had successfully accomplished this feat. By 2000, the number rose to 47 satellites of different types.

Chinese Satellites
The space program in China developed four satellite series initially. They include FSW (Fanhui Shei Weixing), recoverable remote-sensing satellites; DFH (Dongfanghong), telecommunications satellites; FY (Fengyun), meteorological satellites; and SJ (Shijian), scientific research and technological experiment satellites.

China also developed the technology for satellite recovery and also possesses the capability to develop and launch a geo-stationary telecommunications satellite indigenously.

The FSW recoverable satellites were initially used for military reconnaissance, but were later used in earth resources photography, and the design was adapted to conduct experiments in crystal and protein growth, cell cultivation and crop breeding.

The DFH telecom satellites spurred the growth of the telecom industry in China. The fixed telecom service was enabled by several large and medium-sized satellite telecom earth stations. The DFH projects soon established a robust communication network even reaching far-flung areas in China. By 2000, the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) communication service encompassed 30 domestic VSAT communication service providers and 15,000 small station users, including 6,300 two-way users. This served critical sectors like finance, meteorology, transportation, oil, water resources, civil aviation, power, public health and media.

TV broadcasting was enabled via foreign satellites in 1985 with China setting up a network of 33 transponders transmitting programs for China Central Television (CCTV) and local TV stations. Satellite education programs were a huge success with 30 million people benefiting in colleges and in technical secondary schools. Digital TV transmissions by satellite direct broadcasting using dishes served rural areas in China in a big way.

FY meteorological satellites offer indigenous weather-tracking capabilities. The FY-1 series were operated from low earth sun-synchronous orbits and the FY-2 series operated from geosynchronous orbits.

SJ scientific research and technological experiment satellites were used to explore the upper atmosphere using rockets and balloons. Later SJ satellites were used to get data on the space environment. Laboratories to support space physics, micro-gravity and space life science, and the Space Payload Application Center were established to further boost space research.

Manned Space Missions
The advanced manned spaceflights program was started afresh in 1985 to keep abreast with other nations. Among the various technological revolutions planned, astronautics occupied a major slot. Several ideas were put forth for the type of manned spacecraft the country will pursue. It ranged from a horizontal takeoff/horizontal landing two-stage reusable space shuttle, a vertical takeoff/horizontal landing two-stage reusable space shuttle, Shenzhou and others.

In January 1991, the Air Ministry established a manned space program office and zeroed in on a modest manned space development plan, using the existing Long March CZ-2E booster to launch a manned ballistic capsule into orbit.

In 2003 the first Chinese manned spaceflight became a reality. Yang Liwei was the Chinese astronaut on board the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. The spacecraft stayed in space for 21 hours, made 14 orbits and made a successful reentry. China became a member of the exclusive league of three nations to have launched humans into space along with the former Soviet Union and the United States.

Applications of Space Technology
China’s focus on developing satellite application technology resulted in remarkable progress in the fields of remote-sensing satellites, satellite telecom and satellite navigation. These satellites are employed in economic, scientific and technological, cultural, national defense and social spheres. The satellite remote-sensing application technology is being leveraged in meteorology, mining, surveying, agriculture, forestry, water conservancy, oceanography, seismology and urban planning industries to a great extent.

Several institutions have been established in China for developing remote-sensing solutions using satellites. These have been found to be very useful for weather forecasting, territorial survey, agricultural output assessment, forest survey, natural disaster monitoring, maritime forecasting, urban planning and mapping. The accurate forecasting techniques have helped the nation prevent loss of life and property during natural calamities.

Foreign Collaboration
From 2000 onwards, China started collaborating with other countries in order to make manned space missions a grand success. The number of fixed stations on Chinese territory was increased to six. The country made agreements with France, Brazil and Sweden for the sharing of tracking stations. In 1999 an agreement was made with France to combine the work of the French CNES control center and the Chinese center in Xian.

The following year saw the Chinese gain access to the Swedish Space Corporation’s tracking facilities in Sweden and Norway. Tracking stations were also built outside the Chinese territory in the Pacific, on the South Tarawa Island of the Republic of Kiribati and at Swakopmund and Namibia in Africa. A cooperative CBER S project was launched with Brazil, which led to the installation of Chinese satellite control equipment at a ground station in the South American nation.

What the Future Holds for China’s Space Program
In 2000, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) was established along with other long-term programs. Its prime duty was the management of satellites for civilian use and inter-governmental space cooperation with foreign countries. The goal of this organization was to build an integrated Chinese military and civilian earth observation system.

The system will include meteorological, earth resource, oceanic and disaster monitoring satellites. A disaster monitoring constellation, an earthquake monitoring satellite, Double Star magnetosphere monitoring spacecraft and SST solar monitoring satellites form part of the system.

Another objective of the space program is to establish independent Chinese satellite navigation and positioning systems. A satellite constellation was to be launched in stages to build the Chinese indigenous satellite navigation and positioning industry. In the early 1980s, China began to utilize other countries’ navigation satellites and develop the application technology for satellite navigation and positioning.

The Chinese Mission Control Center launched a pair of indigenous Beidou navigation satellites in 2000 followed by the development of commercial applications. Plans were drawn to launch a supplementary set of 30 medium-earth-orbit satellites to provide coverage for all users, which started bearing fruit by 2007.

China has plans to launch a man-tended space station in 2012, which may be followed by a visiting manned mission. The nation also plans to industrialize and market space technology and applications. China has put in place a space infrastructure system and extensive space education system.

Launch infrastructure have been developed with all facilities at the Jiuquan Launch site, Taiyuan Launch site and Xichang launch site. China’s Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT &C) system was constructed and developed along with the development of launch sites. Until the 1990s China’s TT &C system consisted of a control center located at Xi’an city in Shaanxi province and eight ground stations. This network of optical and radio tracking devices and radio telemetry and command links boosted the early Chinese space program.

Starting from modest facilities, the Chinese space program has grown in leaps and bounds. The country has come a long way from a weak infrastructure with backward scientific and technological levels to an advanced level of development in all fields including space technology.

China excels in the fields of satellite recovery, single-rocket multi-satellite launch, cryogenic-fueled rockets, strapon rockets, geo-stationary satellite launch and TT &C. The country has made remarkable advancements in remote-sensing satellites and telecommunication satellites as well as in manned spacecraft testing and space micro-gravity experiments.

According to Fu Yiqing a space expert and consultant to the Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion (SISP), Chinese space technology is capable of making a moon landing very soon. The plans ahead for the moon landing include soft landing capabilities on the moon’s surface and the use of a rover to explore the moon. China’s ambitious plans further include the launch of the Tiangong 1 space laboratory, the development of docking technology and the development of Long March V large-scale carrier rockets.