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Milestones in China's space efforts
Updated: 2005-10-18 10:19
September 1955:
Chinese-born Tsien Hsue-sen, an American-trained rocketry expert and co-founder of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, leaves the U.S. for China after five years of virtual house arrest amid accusations of communist sympathies. He becomes the leader of China’s rocketry program.
1956-58:
Soviets provide intermediate-range ballistic missile to China for study.
1960:
China launches its first rocket despite a cutoff of Soviet aid.
1968:
Research center established to prepare for manned spaceflight by 1973. Program later canceled due to lack of money and political support.
1970:
China becomes the fifth country to launch a satellite into space, sending up the Dongfanghong-1 ("The East is Red") aboard a Long March rocket.
1991:
Tsien retires.
1992:
Human spaceflight program relaunched as "Project 921," with target date of October 1999. Qi Faren, trained in Russia, named chief designer.
1995:
Russia agrees to assist China with human spaceflight technology and training of Chinese astronauts in cosmonaut academy near Moscow.
Nov. 20, 1999:
Successful test flight of the unmanned capsule Shenzhou 1, or "Divine Vessel." Three further unmanned test flights follow.
Oct. 15, 2003:
Shenzhou 5 launches with one astronaut, making China the third nation capable of putting a human in space on its own, after Soviets and the U.S.
Oct. 12, 2005:
Shenzhou 6 launches with two astronauts, on a multi-day mission aimed at leaving an orbiting module in space.
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