China View: Beijing’s Sudden Surge In Space Exploration
China daily
China has made significant advancements in its space capabilities over the past two decades. They launched their first crewed mission in 2003, becoming the third nation to do so after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Since 2014, when President Xi Jinping instituted reforms and increased government investments in Chinese space startup companies, China’s space program has witnessed astronomical growth, both has successfully building its own space station and has landing a rover on Mars.
The country’s future plans include the mining of asteroids for rare earth metals, expansion of the space station, and to place astronauts on the Moon before 2030. These advancements in space exploration have also led to the development of China’s military capabilities in space, including anti-satellite weapons and space surveillance. China has developed the most advanced space program in the Indo-Pacific, which has drawn concerns about military potential in future conflicts, especially in the Taiwan Strait.
Space research and development in China began around the 1950s. Twenty years later, on 24 April 1970, China successfully launched its first satellite, the Dong Fang Hong I, into space shortly after the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) was established in 1968. Over the next 20 years, China’s space activities accelerated. China’s space program was initially controlled by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China’s military. During the 1990s, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) was created under the civilian Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. The PLA continues to play a role in their overall space activities, managing both manned civilian and military efforts, while CNSA handles unmanned scientific projects and international collaboration.
In 1999, China launched its first unmanned spacecraft, the Shenzhou I, followed by the Shenzhou II and Shenzhou III in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, China sent its first manned spacecraft, the Shenzhou V, into space. In 2007, China conducted its first successful anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test, destroying one of its inactive weather satellites. In 2015, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) and the PLA Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) were established to enhance the PLA's power projection capabilities in space and manage aspects of space warfare. In January 2019, China’s Chang’E-4 (CE-4) and Yutu-2 rover successfully landed on the far side of the Moon, opening a new chapter in lunar exploration. CE-4 is one of the missions of the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP).
The goals of CLEP from 2004 to 2020 were to gain a global and comprehensive understanding of the Moon through orbital spacecraft exploration and surveying the lunar surface. In 2021, China successfully launched the Tiangong space station into orbit. Considerable progress has been made in the development of space technology, such as orbit design, flight control, lunar soft landing, and traverse exploration. The nation’s spending on space continues to grow rapidly. Although exact figures are not public, it is estimated that the country is spending between $1.4-2.2 billion per year on space-related projects. Recent estimates suggest that it is closer to $6 billion. Is space exploration worth this level of government investment?
President Xi Jinping views China’s space program as “enhancing a climate of scientific innovation”, which has led to large investments into Chinese space start-up companies. In addition to funding, the government has also provided assistance in the development of space technologies such as reusable rockets. This reliable stream of funding has allowed these companies to innovate. Chinese commercial space companies, such as LandSpace, iSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace, are developing reusable medium-lift launch vehicles. Municipal and provincial governments, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shandong have recently introduced policies to attract and foster commercial space companies because the sector is seen as a way to drive local economic growth.
“Through the open bidding, we are pleased to see that China’s private commercial space companies are developing rapidly and growing rapidly, and their enthusiasm to participate in manned space missions is also high,”
-Lin Xiqiang, Deputy Director of Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA)
The government space aspirations have become more attainable with the assistance of these companies. One of China’s biggest goals over the past decade has been to make it easier to launch vessels into space. As a result of the country’s determination and massive investment, China’s launch rate rose from a national record 22 in 2016, to 55 in 2022 and 67 in 2023. The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology (CASC), also planned a total of 70 launches in 2024, placing more than 290 satellites, cargo vessels and crewed spacecraft into Earth’s orbit.
China’s future space goals include the developing a space-based solar power (SBSP) station that would transfer energy wirelessly back to Earth, establishing a manned lunar base, and mining asteroids. Materials present on the lunar surface and asteroids include silicon and aluminum which are essential materials in the manufacturing of many space technologies including solar panels and satellites. Through China’s Chang’E lunar exploration program, the CNSA discovered deposits of titanium, which are useful in the construction of spacecrafts, and helium-3, which is viewed as an ideal fuel for nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear fusion could be used to power spacecraft and propulsion systems, which can allow for flights and more efficient travel. There are also plans of harvesting asteroids for precious metals and minerals such as platinum.
China has a strategic plan to build a space economy by exploring and extracting minerals from asteroids and natural satellites such as the Moon. They have utilized recently launched satellites as vessels for space experiments such as space pharmaceutical and material manufacturing. In September of 2024, the Shijian-19 satellite was launched and successfully returned to Earth after a 13.5-day flight. This reusable satellite serves as a space testing and space breeding platform that enables the transportation of supplies and resources between Earth and space. Space breeding involves exposing plant seeds, tissues, and DNA to the microgravity and cosmic radiation of space, which can induce genetic mutations and changes in plant growth and development. These experiments have the potential to aid in addressing national and global food security issues.
In addition to testing and harvesting resources, China has also been developing its counter-space capabilities. Beijing has been investing in space warfare and counter-space tools since the late 1980s. Chinese vision of space warfare involves using space for “affirmative ends” such as the intercepting of ballistic and cruise missiles, strikes on terrestrial targets, and space-based surveillance. The government’s continued investment into space exploration and the aerospace development has enhanced its national security capacity and has the potential to lead to future economic expansion.
"China also is carrying out research, development and testing on potential space-based counter-space systems. The PLASSF and defense industry have carried out advanced satellite maneuvers and are likely testing orbital technologies that could be applied to counter-space operations."
However, there are also concerns about the location of Beijing’s launch sites. While other countries utilize coastal launch sites, which allows space debris from launches to fall into the ocean, China has inland launch sites which increase the risks of civilian injury. In Xichang, rockets fly directly over villages in rural China and there have been several reported instances in which buildings and homes were crushed by falling debris. While evacuation notices are disturbed prior to these launches, the risk of damage and injury remains high in these communities.
