CHINA'S AEROSPACE

“Today, we've witnessed a perfect ending. A brave pioneer, passing through space and turning into gorgeous fireworks, rushed to the end of its journey of exploration.”On September 22, 2017, the news that“Tianzhou I cargo spacecraft was actively controlled off track”was spread to every Chinese astronaut. After five months of flying in space, Tianzhou I burned in the atmosphere after successfully completing all its missions.

The exciting news, following the very day of the 25th anniversary of China's Manned Space Program, is no doubt adding to its brilliance. Symbolically, the good ending of Tianzhou I indicates the upcoming new start of space station era.

From entering into the space for the first time to building our own space station, from building our first rocket and satellite to having a huge group of rockets, satellites, spaceships, spacecrafts and unmanned vehicles, from sending a satellite to the space to exploring the moon, Mars, and other asteroids, China has made a great progress in spaceflight industry with its growing influence. After more than 60 years of development, the achievements of the country in the industry have grabbed the world's attention.

Dream of Exploring the Vast Space

In 2003, China caught the attention of the whole world. The big country in the Orient, having successfully launched four unmanned spacecrafts, announced that it would launch the Shenzhou V manned spacecraft and send the first Chinese astronaut to space.

“Ready? Go!”Li Ji'nai, chief commander of China's Manned Space Program, gave the order at 5:30 am on October 15.

“Yes, sir.”Astronaut Yang Liwei made a standard military salute to him.

At nine o'clock, Long March II F carrier rocket blasted off. Nine minutes and 50 seconds later, Shenzhou V spacecraft successfully entered its preset orbit, and Yang Liwei became the first Chinese opening the door to the universe.

The long-pursued dream of flying to space has become a reality. The success of Shenzhou V mission not only became an important milestone in China's manned spaceflight program; it also ignited the patriotic enthusiasm and pride among the Chinese nation. In the minds of Chinese people, China's aerospace industry has gone far beyond its fields and industries, but is closely linked with national strength and self-confidence, and has become an important symbol of the country's power.

After the flying dream being materialized, China's aerospace, along with its national aspirations, has been marching non-stop toward the future.

In October 2005, Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft was launched, carrying two astronauts. In September 2008, Shenzhou VII was launched. From 2011 to 2013, Tiangong I space module and Shenzhou VIII, Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spacecrafts were launched in succession, making a successful space docking. From 2016 to 2017, Tiangong II laboratory, Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft and Tianzhou I cargo spaceship were launched successively, completing the rendezvous and docking, with a series of technical and space science experiments conducted in space.

Through the implementation of these missions, China has made breakthroughs and mastered such key technologies as manned space flight, space walking, space rendezvous and docking, astronaut mid-term residency, space cargo transportation, and on-orbit supplement of propellants, laying a solid foundation for space station building.

It has been 25 years for China to go from the launch of manned space program to the upcoming start of the space station. In these years, China has launched altogether 11 Shenzhou spacecrafts, two space laboratories (target aircraft) and one cargo spacecraft, and sent 14 astronauts into space, creating an unbeaten record of manned space missions. The manned space program has truly become a strong point in China's aerospace industry. As planned, China's first space station will be completed around 2022. China, once was excluded from the“club”of international space stations, is expected to become the third country in the world to have a space station.

While the manned space project still remains in full swing, another major project in China has quietly been unveiled.

On November 22, 2000, a white paper on China's space activities, first published by the State Council Information Office, clearly stated that “preliminary research on deep-space exploration based on lunar probe will be conducted.” On January 23, 2004, the lunar exploration program was approved, thus sounding the horn for the start of exploration into the deep space.

China's lunar exploration program is based on unmanned detection, and is divided into three stages:“circling”,“landing”and“returning”. The first is to launch lunar exploration satellite to carry out around-the-moon exploration, before the second step, that is, to achieve soft landing on the lunar surface and make an inspection tour, is taken. Finally, it is to return to the earth with the lunar surface samples.

It is an extraordinary challenge to travel from 36,000 km to 380,000 km and from taking off from the earth to landing on another planet.

On October 24, 2007, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, amidst the Daliang Mountains, displayed great vitality when dense clouds and mists over it slowly dis-persed. At 18:05, along with the call of“Ignition”, a Long March III-A rocket began its journey to the moon, carrying China's first lunar exploration satellite Chang'e I.

At 11:15 on November 5, Chang'e I made perilune braking for the first time. At 11:37, the satellite was successfully captured by the moon. We made it!

At that moment, audience throughout the country saw the event on television: The aerospace personnel in the hall stood up in great excitement, some cheering and some jumping up and down, some hugging and shaking hands with each other. Sun Jiadong, chief engineer of the lunar exploration project, walked to a corner and quietly turned his back then burst into tears.

Little things like this could show how challenging was the path of China's moon exploration.

Chang'e I eventually managed to impact the lunar surface in a rich sea area after 127 days of extended service. Since then, there have been three lunar probes from the Chang'e family named the three“sister flowers”who have successively went to the moon: Chang'e II has verified the key technologies for the lunar soft landing with a flight of more than 70 million km, refreshing the longest distance the Chinese spacecraft has ever reached. Chang'e III successfully landed on the moon, making China the third country in the world to achieve lunar soft landing and set the world record for the longest working hours on the moon. The three-phase reentry flight testers of the lunar exploration project verified the relevant technologies of reentry and return at an approximate second cosmic ve-locity, obtaining the first“return ticket”from the moon to the earth.

As planned, Chang'e V probe will embark on the moon later and return with lunar surface samples. Chang'e IV is also expected to be launched at the end of 2018, and achieve soft landing on the dark side of the moon with human probe for the very first time.

The steps of the Chinese people in space exploration are far from stopping. According to the deep space exploration and development plan, China will launch its first Martian probe around 2020; probes into the Mars, asteroids and Jupiter will start before 2030 to explore deeper into the space.

Chinese Satellites Shinning in the Space

To buy a satellite or build one of our own? In the 1980s, the aerospace industry of China was made to make such a choice.

At that time, the domestic communication satellites, due to the weak foundation in the development and production of electronic components, were not well developed in China. Although the country managed to successfully send its first artificial satellite DFH I into space and subsequently launched DFH II with four C-band transponders for communications, there was still a big gap compared with the advanced satellites with twenty or thirty transponders developed abroad.

Hence, it was debated from 1981 in the country on whether to buy a satellite or build one.

The intense discussion was finally brought to an end with the decision of developing a new generation of communications and broadcasting satellites by relying on own strength. In 1997, after a difficult course of research and development, DFH III satellite, independently developed by China, was successfully launched with a capacity equivalent to 12 DFH II satellites, making the Chinese aerospace experts finally able to hold their heads high. It was estimated by departments concerned that tens of millions dollars were saved for the state per year by public satellite communications alone.

Over three decades have elapsed and the debate whether China should buy or build a satellite on its own would never occur again, as China-made satellites have been hovering over space all the time. Available statistics indicate that, up to now, China has launched in total more than 300 satellites, of which nearly 200 are still in orbit. China ranks the second place in the world in terms of the number of satellites stably orbiting in space.

The numerous satellites China has launched can be categorized into several major groups, one of which is communications satellites.

In this regard, geostationary communications satellite represents the level of development of a country's satellite communications; it is also an important symbol of the overall strength and technological level of that given country. In recent years, China has made quite quick strides in the field, and dozens of communication satellites have been inlaid on the geostationary orbit over the equator. Their“starlight”illuminates 60% of the world's land, benefiting 80% of the global population. Moreover, with the development of space technology and the upgrading of the DFH satellite public platform, today's communications satellites have left the earlier ones behind. In April 2017, China's first high-throughput communications satellite Practice XIII (renamed Zhongxing XVI after completing its on-orbit test) was successfully launched with a total communications capacity of over 20G, which has truly realized the broadband application of autonomous communications satellites. On August 6, 2016, Tiantong I-01 was blasted off, enabling China to have its own maritime satellite and usher the country into the“cellphone era”in satellite mobile communication.

Beidou (the Big Dipper) is also a“big family”in the splendid vast space. The Beidou System is a self-developed and independently operated global satellite navigation system developed in China. At the end of 2012, it began to provide positioning, navigation, timing and unique short-message services to the major part of the Asia-Pacific region. The development of the system is now in full swing. It is expected to provide basic services to countries and regions along the ancient Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road (regions covered in the Belt and Road Initiative around late 2018). By 2020, all 35 Beidou satellites will be globally networked. By then, it will be ready to serve the whole world.

There is also the group of meteorological satellites, named Fengyun, that provide weather services. From the launch of FY I-A satellite in 1988 to the launch of FY IV satellite in 2017, China has successfully sent into space 15 meteorological satellites, among which eight satellites are still working in orbit, providing important meteorological observation data for climate monitoring and weather forecast both for China and the world.

In addition, high-resolution earth observation satellites, remote sensing satellites, and others are all“stars”in space made by China. They all generate an important impact on China's national economic development and people's lives, besides providing high-quality satellite operation services for many countries and regions around the globe.

A New Generation of Launch Vehicles: A Great Leap in Payload

As a saying goes,“The development of the space industry mainly depends on the capacity of the launch vehicle.”Launch vehicles play an important role in the launch of man-made satellites, manned space flight programs, and lunar probes.

Since the launch of Long March I carrier rocket in the 1970s, the aerospace workers of China have stepped up their efforts to push forward the space industry through upgrading and improvement of launch vehicles. Their latest masterpiece Long March V has embodied 12 core technologies and 247 key technologies in the ten-year course of its development.

On November 3, 2016, China's largest new heavy-lift Long March V, the most technologically advanced launch vehicle, standing on the tower, just about to start its space journey from Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.

The bustling crowds who came to watch the rocket launch didn't realize that they were about to witness the most thrilling launch in the history of Chinese aerospace.

At 17:30, half an hour before the scheduled launch, the atmosphere grew suddenly tense in the launch hall. After an emergency inspection, the staff found that there was something wrong with the oxygen exhaust pipe of the rocket booster. The headquarters decided to postpone the launch window to 19:01. Then, as new problems followed, the rocket ignition was postponed twice, and two pauses occurred within the last one minute of the countdown. Eventually, it took off at 20:43, 163 minutes later than the scheduled launch time.

The success of the Long March V launch vehicle, though the launching was a bit bumpy and tumultuous, holds some great significance to the country's space industry. China has achieved a leap in its launch vehicle, from medium scale to large one, with a maximum payload of 25 tons to low Earth orbit and 14 tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit. In addition, the capacity for space entry has more than doubled as well. China has become a member of the world's major rocket campus, including the United States and Russia.

Long March V is the fourth most successful member of the new generation rocket family in China. Before its maiden flight, China has successfully launched three new-generation launch vehicles.

In the 1990s, Chinese aerospace workers gradually came to realize that, if China wanted to probe into the deeper space, it was necessary to rely on more advanced, more powerful non-toxic and pollution-free launch vehicles with greater payload capacity. Therefore, they came up with the proposal for developing launch vehicles of a new generation. The proposal was approved in 2001.

The debut of the new-generation rockets was made more than a decade later. In September 2015, there was a strong roar twice in five days in China. On September 20, at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, a Long March VI rocket, the first of the new-generation launch vehicles, was set off carrying 20 satellites, thus setting a new record one rocket sending multiple satellites into space. On September 25, a Long March XI, the first solid rocket, was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

On June 25, 2016, Long March VII, China's newlydeveloped medium-sized launch vehicle of the new generation, successfully made its maiden flight, carrying payload of 14 tons to low Earth orbit.

China has developed four types of new-generation launch vehicles in 15 years, Long March V included. So far, the matured Long March launch vehicle products have included four series and 10 models, with capabilities to send different types of spacecraft into low, medium, and high orbits. Available statistics show that, as of the end of March 2018, the Long March series of rockets have been launched on 270 occasions, with a success rate of 96 percent, reaching the international advanced level.

Now, the Chinese rocket family is still expanding. As planned, Long March VIII will make a maiden flight in 2020.And the heavy-lift Long March IX launch vehicle, with a maximum payload capacity of 140 tons to low earth orbit, is also being developed. By then, China's new-generation launch vehicle systems will be basically completed to provide strong support for future space-related missions, such as space station construction, manned lunar landing, Mars probe, and other deep-space explorations.

In addition, China is conducting preliminary research and flight demonstration verification on more advanced technology fields, such as reusable launch vehicles and space transportation platforms, to achieve sustainable development of the space transportation system of China.

Space Diplomacy, China's“Card”in Foreign Relations

In 2017, a unique“crew notice”caught everybody's attention, it read,“Dear commercial space users, here is China's first space bus. Long March XI solid launch vehicle is at your service.”The rocket that was developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology began to be of service to the whole world.

In addition to Long March XI, many other models of the Long March launch vehicle have also joined the“Long March Express”service plan, covering exclusive custom launches, annual scheduled fixed orbit launches, and launches with payload, with a launch cycle of two days after space docking.

The“Long March Express”means that China's carrier rockets have reached a significant scale and capability in the field of commercial launch. It reminds people of the striking contrast that China had to get orders with its rocket sketches, when China's space industry first entered the international market 32 years ago.

In 1986, several rocket launch accidents occurred in the United States and France, and the international launch market was for a moment paralyzed. Under such circumstances, Huang Zuoyi, director of the Great Wall Company's office in the United States, sketched a draft of Long March II Bundled Launch Vehicle: By lengthening its core and adding with four liquid boosters, the maximum payload capacity to low earth orbit of the Long March II rocket was to be increased by nearly three times to meet the needs of the international communications satellite market. Taking the sketch with him, Huang Zuoyi and his colleagues started their exhortation in the international market.

Words like“Coming with just two pieces of paper, is this a joke?”made Chinese aerospace workers feel embarrassed. Fortunately, the sketches were eventually repaid by an order. The contract was signed by China and the United States on November 1, 1988 for the launch of satellites manufactured by American Hughes Corporation and operated by Aussat, Australia with the Long March II bundled launch vehicle. The contract was finally fulfilled on July 16, 1990.

After years of development, China has formed a complete spectrum of current launch vehicles that includes both conventional ones and small-sized, low-cost, new-generation ones with rapid maneuvering launch capabilities, enabling to launch single-satellite, multi-satellite, and carrier rocket as well, and providing a broad arena for international commercial launch services.

While undertaking commercial launch services, China's aerospace sector has gradually expanded its international business to satellite manufacturing, on-orbit services, and satellite operations.

On October 14, 1999, Long March IV-B launch vehicle successfully launched the China & Brazil Earth Resource Satellite in Taiyuan, lifting the curtain of China's international cooperation in satellite manufacturing.

On May 14, 2007, Long March III-B launch vehicle successfully launched the No. 1 Nigerian telecommunication satellite in Xichang Satellite Launch Center, making a breakthrough in China's satellite export, and the realization of the space dream of the most populous country in Africa.

Up to now, China has made more than 60 international commercial launches and delivery services and, offering satellite export services for such countries as Nigeria, Pakistan, Belarus, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia. China's commercial space industry has evolved from providing simple launch services to package services, including on-orbit satellite delivery, launch services, ground facilities, satellite applications, on-orbit management, insurance, and financing. It plays an increasingly important role in the international space market.

As the“going global”policy has become implemented, China's international influence in the aerospace industry have been significantly enhanced. The number of international standards and effective international patents issued by the China national space administration have risen significantly. China, which was once not welcomed by international cooperation projects, has now received expressions of goodwill from many countries on important projects, such as space station and lunar probe.

In recent years, inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative, China has signed more than 100 cooperation agreements with more than 30 countries and international organizations to actively promote the development of the Belt and Road Spatial Information Corridor, using space technology and services to benefit countries and regions along the routes.

Space diplomacy has become an outstanding business card for China's“going global”in high-tech.

Young and Vigorous Researchers Ensure the Bright Future of China's Aerospace Sector

As early as in ancient times, the Chinese had invented the rocket. However, it was not until the 1970s that the first satellite was successfully launched in China. Therefore, the“race between the tortoise and the rabbit”was once used to describe China's relations with other major powers in the world. But, things have changed in recent decades. China's space industry has shown great vigor of development. It has gradually achieved a leading position from following behind others to marching forward side by side in some fields. China has become a force that cannot be ignored in the aerospace sector globally.

Then, in the upcoming 60 years or even longer, what will become of China's aerospace sector?

You may have found the answer to this question from a photo, in which scientific researchers are hugging each other after the successful launch of Long March V. People have shown great attention to this photo and many of them have been commenting about it, marveling at the young age of China's aerospace researchers.

In China, the research workers of the young generation have firmly taken over the baton of the space sector and become the mainstay of China's space industry. Among the aerospace science and technology researchers, young people under the age of 35 account for more than 55 percent of the total; the average age of the staff, who are involved in major engineering missions such as manned space flight and lunar probe, is about 30 years old.

“If Chinese engineers who are under 30 years old can achieve their current accomplishments, what will they achieve when they reach the peak of their careers in 10, 20, 30, or 40 years?”The question of a space expert in Dublin expresses exactly what the world expects of China's space industry.