China plans to carry out about 100 space missions this year, making it a very busy time for the nation’s space industry. The record-setting launch schedule was unveiled by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, a state-owned conglomerate and the nation’s leading space contractor, at a news conference in Beijing. The company will be responsible for nearly 70 of the planned missions, deploying over 290 spacecraft into orbit, said Ma Tao, Deputy Director of its Space Program Planning Department. Notable spaceflights for the year will include two crewed and two cargo missions to the Tiangong space station, the Chang’e 6 robotic expedition to the moon’s far side, and the maiden flights of the Long March 6C and Long March 12 carrier rockets.
Experts said the year’s most significant launch will be the Chang’e 6 expedition, tasked with bringing back the first samples from the little-known far side of the moon. The United States, the former Soviet Union and China have brought lunar samples back to Earth, but none of these countries have ever obtained samples from the moon’s far side, most of which is never visible from Earth. Ma said the space contractor will launch several state-of-the-art spacecraft this year, ranging from a satellite dedicated to monitoring ocean salinity to an astronomical satellite jointly made by Chinese and French scientists.
The majority of the planned launches will be conducted by the Long March rocket family, with additional launches by its secondary rocket series called Smart Dragon, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp’s Kuaizhou fleet, and several models from private companies. Ma said his company will also continue its efforts in the research, development and construction of over 200 spacecraft to be launched in the coming years. They include a new-generation crewed spaceship, the Chang’e 7 lunar probe, the Tianwen 2 asteroid explorer and several advanced satellites. The company will build more than 230 rockets in 2024, which will be used this year and in the coming years, he added.
Last year, China ranked second globally with 67 rocket launches, including 47 involving the Long March family, all of which were successful. Besides state-owned contractors, private enterprises have become a new power in China’s rocket industry, with their growth being fast-tracked. Twelve rockets built by Chinese private companies were used last year to send satellites into space, far more than in previous years, the China Daily reports.
