The space program of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) started in 1956 . The first satellite in the program was launched in 1970 .
Although historically China was the fifth space power (launching satellites independently), by the beginning of the XXI century it had become the third such power by potential. China has a variety of launch vehicles up to heavy, has an extensive set of applied satellites of almost all types , including geostationary, launches interplanetary stations (AMC) to the Moon and has AMC programs to Mars . Over 40 years, more than a hundred satellites have been launched.
- In 1976 , China was the third in the world to create technology for the return of satellites .
- In 2003 , China became the world's third largest space superpower, with its own manned cosmonautics .
- In 2007 , China was the third in the world to demonstrate the possession of anti - satellite missile technology (satellite interception) [1] [2] .
- In 2007 , 2013 and 2014 Accordingly, China became the third country with the lunar-orbital AMS, lunar landing AMC with the lunar rover and AMC with the apparatus being returned from the lunar orbit, and in 2012 it was the fourth largest in the world to study using the AMC asteroid .
- In 2011, China launched its first orbital station and made the first docking , and also became the second country in the number of space launches completed, surpassing the United States and behind only Russia.
- In 2012, the first manned flight to the national orbital station took place in China.
- In 2018, China became the world leader in space launches, having made 37 launches in a year [3] .
China is one of the largest players in the market in providing launch services for other countries and organizations, and is also a developer and manufacturer of satellites for their orders (for example, for Nigeria ) and participates in joint programs (for example, with Brazil ). In connection with the development of the independent program of national space stations, China does not participate in the International Space Station (ISS). At the same time, he plans to provide the possibility of flying foreign cosmonauts ( Nigeria , Sri Lanka , etc.) on his own ships and space stations - just as it was previously started by the USSR / Russia and the USA [4] [5] 6] [7] [8] [9] .
Along with the USA, Russia and Europe, China has a national global satellite navigation system - " Beidou ". China announced an extensive promising space program, including in the near future the creation of its own multi-module permanently manned orbital station and in the distant future - reusable transport space systems and manned missions to the Moon.
Aims and Objectives
We will unswervingly move forward towards the established goal and will make a due contribution to the exploration and use of space by humans.
According to the official plan of 2006, the Chinese space program has the following goals and objectives [11] :
- space exploration;
- increasing the understanding and knowledge of the Earth and the cosmos;
- the use of space for peaceful purposes;
- the promotion of civilization and social development for the benefit of all mankind;
- solving issues of economic structure, scientific and technological development, national security and social development;
- Enhancing the scientific enlightenment of Chinese citizens;
- protection of China’s national interests and rights;
- building up national power.
Infrastructure
China has several dozen scientific and industrial enterprises in the space industry (see Industry of the People's Republic of China # Aerospace industry ).
China has four spaceports :
- Jiuquan ;
- Sichan ;
- Taiyuan ;
- Wenchang (the very south of China).
China has the world's third largest fleet of naval space tracking ships and a network of ground-based radar tracking stations , including outside its territory (in Namibia , Kiribati , etc.).
History
The founder of the space program in China is Qiang Xuesen , who for many years (since August 1935) lived in the USA and participated in many American aerospace developments. After the FBI's accusations of Qian Xueshen of "complicity with the communists," he returned to China (1955) and took the lead on China's nuclear and rocket and space programs.
The beginning of the space program of China can be considered on October 8, 1956 , when the 5th Academy of the Ministry of Defense was created in the People's Republic of China, which conducted research related to the missile theme, even with Soviet assistance. In the course of research flights of geophysical rockets in 1966, a rocket with two mice on board was launched into the stratosphere [12] , and on July 14 and 28 during two launches of the T-7A rocket - dogs.
On April 24, 1970, China conducted the successful launch of its first satellite, Dongfang Hung-1 ( Kit. 东方 红 ) (after one unsuccessful attempt on November 16, 1969 ). Thanks to this launch, China became the 11th country with its own satellite , but the 5th in the world and the 2nd in Asia (only a few weeks behind the Japanese) space power .
China had three programs to create manned spacecraft . If the first Shuguang program started in the late 1960s was implemented in the planned period (1973), China only 3 years after the launch of its first satellite Dongfang Hung-1 and only 12 years after the USSR and the USA would have become the third space power, however, the program was discontinued in 1972, before the result was achieved, for economic and political reasons [13] .
In the late 1970s - early 1980s, a second Chinese manned program existed on the basis of the FSW satellites, which was partially declassified and officially also stopped without a result (although there are allegations that it was stopped after the unsuccessful launch of the first taykonavta in December 1978 or January 1979 ) [14] [15] .
In the 1990s , specialists from the Ukrainian military industrial complex played a significant role in China’s missile program, which the Soviet RD-120 used as an engine for its space programs. Then Yuzhmash and its employees helped to organize its mass production in the Middle Kingdom and gave a start to the Chinese rocket science [16] .
Since 1993 , the space program has been coordinated by the National Directorate for Space Research of China , consisting of the departments of general planning, science, technology and quality control, system development, and international cooperation.
In reality, China became a space superpower with manned space exploration in 2003 , according to the third manned program of Shenzhou - Project-921 , transformed in 1992 from Project-863 of 1986.
In 2018, China launched 38 missiles (USA - 17).
Projects
Piloted Program Project-921
Since 1992, China has been implementing a three-stage manned space program, Project-921. The project consists of the following stages: 921-1 - the creation of a manned spacecraft; 921-2 - creation of visited manned orbital stations-laboratories with the development of docking technology; 921-3 - the creation of a constantly manned long-term multi-module orbital station complex.
921-1
Project 921-1 of the creation of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft ( Kit. 神舟 ), received approval and funding in 1992 for four pilot unmanned test flights and subsequent manned missions.
After unmanned flights since 1999, the ship " Shenzhou-5 " launched the first Taykonavta Yang Liwei ( Kit. ) Into orbit on October 15, 2003.
" Shenzhou-6 " in 2005 became the first multi-seat Chinese ship [17] .
In the “ Shenzhou-7 ” mission of 2008, the taikonauts Zhai Zhigang ( Kit. 翟志刚 ) and Liu Bomin ( Kit. Вып ) performed the first spacewalk. On the ship " Shenzhou-9 " in 2012 for the first time a female taikonaut was launched, and another taikonaut set off on the 2nd flight.
921-2
In 2011, Tyangun -1 ( Kit. 天宫 一宫 ) was launched - an 8-ton orbital laboratory ( target module ), which is the first stage in the creation of Chinese manned orbital stations . Three expeditions were carried out to it - " Shenzhou-8 " (unmanned), " Shenzhou-9 ", " Shenzhou-10 " (manned). In the future, it is scheduled to launch two more stations visited by the crews (out of 2 taikonauts) of this increased series - the Tyangun-2 space laboratory in 2016 and the Tyangun-3 space station later than 2017.
921-3
Further, around 2020, on the basis of Tyangun-3, the construction of the third in the world (after the Soviet station complex Mir and ISS ) of a multi-module permanently manned orbital station with a service life of 10 years, including a central residential module and two laboratory modules, will begin. After two years, it will begin to function. The mass of the station, not including the ships, will be 60 tons, the crew - three or more taikonauts, each group of astronauts will work at the station in shifts for three to six months [18] .
The inclination of the orbit is 42–43 degrees, the height of the orbit is 340–450 kilometers. An automatic cargo ship will also be created to supply the station. In the future, by 2025, the station will be expanded with several more modules and platforms [19] .
Reusable space transportation systems
China is developing the next generation of promising reusable space transportation systems . The prototype of the Shenlong spaceplane was created and is undergoing atmospheric tests.
Mastering the Moon
China, under favorable circumstances, is a contender for winning the " lunar race for second place" (for becoming the second country to land a man on the moon ) in the case of non-renewal of similar US plans and non-implementation or delaying plans of Russia, Europe, Japan , India. China plans to fly to the Moon around 2020 [20] and to build a lunar base by 2050. For this, the Changzheng-9 super heavy rocket will be created.
On the way to this promising goal, a program for exploring the moon is currently being implemented in China by automatic means.
In October 2007, Chang'e-1 , the first Chinese artificial satellite of the Moon , was launched. With this AMC, China became the third (after the USSR and the USA) country, which began an independent exploration of the Moon.
Then the Chang'e-2 station was launched, and on December 14, 2013, the first landing on the moon of the Chinese Chang'e-3 station with the Yuuta lunar rover was made .
On October 23, 2014, Chang'e-5T1 was launched to experiment with the return to Earth from the lunar orbit. The companion circled over the moon. The descent vehicle entered the atmosphere and landed on October 31, 2014. China became the third (after the USSR and the USA) country with the technology of descent vehicles after the flight to the Moon.
The following stages include the launch at the end of 2014 of the integrated orbital landing lunar AMC Chang'e-4 and the creation by 2017 of the AMC Chang'e-5 returning the lunar soil [21] , and after 2020 sending the person to the Moon [20] .
Other interplanetary projects
The station " Chang'e-2 " after the Moon conducted in 2012 a study from the flight path of the asteroid Tautatis .
China, following the USSR / Russia, USA, Japan, India and the European Union, begins to explore Mars . His first Martian interplanetary station Inkho-1 , which was to become an artificial satellite of Mars, was launched and then fell into the ocean along with the Russian AMC Phobos-Grunt in 2011 .
In the future, China plans to launch other own Martian and other AMCs, as well as participate in the Russian Mars-Grunt AMC, which returns the Martian soil.
Chinese orbital grouping
As of February 2015, the orbital constellation of the People's Republic of China included 131 spacecraft (the same as Russia ) [22] .
The Chinese group in orbit was most dynamically formed in the 2000s: whereas in the previous decade (90s), the PRC carried out a little more than 30 launches, then since the early 2000s, the PRC launched more than 100 satellites — of the 147 Chinese satellites launched in orbit in 1970–2014, 87 were launched in the first decade of the 21st century [23] .
- Unsuccessful launches
- Successful launches
Military Program
The first successful test of anti-satellite weapons was conducted on January 11, 2007 , when an old meteorological satellite in a polar orbit at an altitude of 865 km was hit by a direct hit of a rocket.
In 2013 , US media reported that China conducted tests of three small satellites, launched July 20 of the same year. It is assumed that these satellites are part of a secret program to develop an anti-satellite system: one of them was equipped with a manipulator , and during the flight he changed the orbit to 150 km, moving closer to the other by a short distance. This manipulator can be used to capture or knock down other satellites. [26]
On October 30, 2015 , the Dong Neng-3 anti-satellite missile launched from (military base) Korla Missile Test Complex was successfully tested. This is the third anti-satellite rocket developed in the PRC [27] . [28]
Name Values
- "Dunfanhun" - Aleet East
- Changzheng - Great Trip
- "Shuguang" - dawn
- Shenzhou is a magical boat
- "Shenlong" - magic dragon
- "Tiangun" - the heavenly palace
- "Chang'e" - the name of the mythological character (woman living on the moon)
- " Yuytu " - the moon hare
See also
- China National Space Administration
- China Aerospace Corporation ( China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation , CASIC )
- Qian Xuesen - the father of Chinese space exploration.
- Shenlong (MTCS)
- List of space launches of China
- Chinese astronauts
- Shenzhou series spaceships
Links
- d / f "The Great Journey of China into space" from Discovery Science
Notes
- ↑ The Chinese have learned how to shoot down space satellites (inaccessible link)
- ↑ China's Military Space Power Growing (English)
- Laun China launches more rockets than US, Russia in 2018 (English) . Global Times (25 December 2018). The appeal date is January 3, 2019. Archived December 25, 2018.
- ↑ China inhabits space
- ↑ This year, China will perform more than 20 space missions // Rosbalt
- ↑ The future space station of China will provide Chinese and foreign scientists with a platform for the exploration and use of outer space (not available link) . The appeal date is August 24, 2012. Archived November 8, 2011.
- ↑ Chinese space laboratory will be put into orbit until 2016 Archival copy of March 1, 2013 on the Wayback Machine // russian.news.cn, March 2011
- ↑ China will be able to send foreign astronauts into space in the future (inaccessible link) . Circulation date August 24, 2012. Archived March 1, 2013.
- Sending There is a possibility of sending an astronaut into space in less than four years (not available link) . Circulation date August 24, 2012. Archived October 26, 2012.
- ↑ Li Peng and other managers observed the successful launch of the Shenzhou-4 spacecraft // Renmin Jibao
- ↑ 《2006 中国 的 航天》 白皮书 全文 Unsolved (not available link) . The date of circulation is January 3, 2009. Archived March 21, 2009.
- ↑ China. Flight on geophysical rockets
- Foreign military review number 12, 2008
- ↑ Chinese Manned Capsule 1978 Archived August 28, 2012.
- ↑ The second stage of the Chinese manned space flight
- ↑ North Korean rockets took off on Ukrainian engines? // Aug 14, 2017
- ↑ Project 921 Human Spaceflight Program (Phase-I) (not available link) . The date of circulation is January 3, 2009. Archived January 23, 2009.
- ↑ China is planning to launch an orbital space station (Rus.) , Rossiyskaya Gazeta (March 28, 2018). The appeal date is March 29, 2018.
- ↑ The future of the Chinese manned space program
- ↑ 1 2 The Chinese lunar rover Yuytu first landed on the moon
- ↑ “Chinese space program.” Http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chinese_space_program&oldid=261628627 - Wikipedia, 3 Jan 2009, 07:22 UTC. Jan 3, 2009
- ↑ Cui Zheng . Scientific and technical cooperation of the Russian Federation and the PRC in the context of the innovative development of the BRICS countries . Thesis for the degree of candidate of political sciences. - M., 2015. - p. 169, 171
- ↑ Cui Zheng . Scientific and technical cooperation of the Russian Federation and the PRC in the context of the innovative development of the BRICS countries . Thesis for the degree of candidate of political sciences. - M., 2015. - p. 169.
- ↑ Chang'e 4: le voyage vers la face cachée de la lune commence (fr.) . East Pendulum (9 December 2018). The date of circulation is January 3, 2019. Archived December 19, 2018.
- Laun China launches more rockets than US, Russia in 2018 (English) . Global Times (25 December 2018). The appeal date is January 3, 2019. Archived December 25, 2018.
- ↑ A. Burov. China put a robotic arm into orbit to fight satellites // Foreign Military Review. - 2013. - № 10 (October). - p. 91-92. - ISSN 0134-921X .
- ↑ Bill Gertz. Stratcom: China Moving Rapidly to Deploy New Hypersonic Glider (Eng.) . www.freebeacon.com (22 January 2016). The appeal date is September 1, 2017.
- ↑ The Pentagon acknowledged the loss of US superiority in space because of Russia and China // View , May 1, 2019