China's Space Journey, to the Moon's Far Side and Beyond

Advertisement
By Associated Press | Updated: 7 January 2019 16:33 IST
China's Space Journey, to the Moon's Far Side and Beyond

A model of the moon lander for China's Chang'e 4 lunar probe

China has come a long way since the founding of its space program in 1956.

Shortly after the former Soviet Union launched Sputnik, Chairman Mao Zedong declared that China too should have an artificial satellite to keep up with the great powers. Now, being recognized as a galactic pioneer is once again part of China's national ambitions.

"The space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger," President Xi Jinping said shortly after taking office in 2013.

While China still lags behind the United States, which has a much larger space exploration budget, it has come out ahead in at least one arena after becoming the first country to make a landing on the far side of the moon Thursday. Here are some key milestones in China's space odyssey, and a look at the missions ahead:

Advertisement

1970s: Rockets
The country introduced its Long March series of rockets in 1970. The program's success rate of about 95 percent makes it a cornerstone of China's space endeavours. It has had a few setbacks, notably a Long March 5 rocket that plunged into the Pacific minutes after takeoff in July 2017.

2003: First Astronaut
Yang Liwei became the first Chinese astronaut in space in October 2003. China was only the third country, after Russia and the US, to conduct a crewed mission. The country has sent 11 astronauts, including two women, on six missions in all.

Advertisement

2011: Space laboratory
China was excluded from the International Space Station largely due to concerns over its space program's connections to the military and US legislation barring such cooperation. That didn't stop China from launching in 2011 its own space laboratory, named Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace"), which orbited Earth until last April. The station hosted two crewed missions and served as a test platform for docking procedures and other operations.

2013: To the moon and back
Chang'e 1, named after a mythological Chinese moon goddess, first circled the moon in 2007. Successive lunar missions have included a moon landing in 2013, the first since the former Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. There are plans for a Chang'e 5 probe to reach the moon next year and return to Earth with samples.

Advertisement

2020: What's next?
The year 2020 promises to be a big one for China's space program. It plans to send its first probe to Mars and complete a homegrown global navigation network.

The latter will link more than 30 satellites providing real-time geospatial information worldwide — China's answer to GPS.

By 2022, China hopes to complete a space station fit for long-term habitation, with standards matching those of the International Space Station, though smaller in size.

And moon development? The National Space Administration declared in a video last April, "China's dream of residing in a lunar palace will soon become a reality."

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: China, Change-4, CNSA
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Realme C73 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: See Price
  2. Apple Might Not Make Any Major AI Announcements at WWDC 2025
  3. Google May Unveil the Pixel 10 Series Much Earlier Than Expected
  4. iQOO Neo 10 First Sale in India Kicks Off Today: Price, Offers and Features
  5. Vivo X Fold 5 Battery Details Leaked; May Be Cheaper Than X Fold 3 Pro
  1. Exclusive: Huawei Band 10 With Stress Monitoring, More Features to Launch in India Under Rs. 5,000
  2. Samsung Galaxy S26 Series to Reportedly Include Perplexity App as Companies Near Major AI Deal
  3. Google Pixel 10 Series May Launch Earlier Than Usual, Suggests Alleged Pixel Superfans Invite
  4. Bitcoin Falls to $104,900 as Market Undergoes Correction Phase, Most Altcoins See Losses
  5. Realme C73 5G With MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications
  6. Apple Developing Solid-State, Haptic Buttons for iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad, Tipster Claims
  7. Elden Ring Nightreign Sells 2 Million Copies on First Day; Patch Announced to Make Solo Play Easier
  8. Vivo X Fold 5 Battery, Charging Details Surface Online; Tipped to Be Cheaper Than Vivo X Fold 3 Pro
  9. Apple's macOS 26 to Be Reportedly Named After California’s Lake Tahoe
  10. Apple Might Not Make Any Major AI Announcements at WWDC 2025: Report
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.