page_title: Science and technology in China
section_title: Space science
hierarchical_section_title: Science and technology in China / Specific areas of R&D / Space science
caption_attribution_description: 中文: 中國空間站藝術表現詮釋 English: Impression of the Chinese Space Station by the artist Penyulap.
context_page_description: Science and technology in China have developed rapidly during the 1990s to 2010s. The Chinese government has placed emphasis through funding, reform, and societal status on science and technology as a fundamental part of the socio-economic development of the country as well as for national prestige. China has made rapid advances in areas such as education, infrastructure, high-tech manufacturing, academic publishing, patents, and commercial applications and is now in some areas and by some measures a world leader. China is now increasingly targeting indigenous innovation and aims to reform remaining weaknesses.
context_section_description: The Chinese space program is a major source of national pride. In 1970 the first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, was launched.  In 2003 China become the third country to independently send humans into space with Yang Liwei's spaceflight aboard Shenzhou 5. In 2008 China conducted a spacewalk with the Shenzhou 7 mission. In 2011 Tiangong-1 was launched which was the first step towards a Chinese space station around 2020. The active Chinese Lunar Exploration Program includes a lunar rover in 2013 and possibly a manned lunar landing in the 2020s. Experience gained from the lunar program will be used for future programs such as exploration of Mars and Venus.
  China plans to launch 5 commercial satellites for foreign customers in 2012 and aims to capture 15% of the commercial launch market and 10% of the satellite export market by 2015. In 2011 China launched a total of 19 rockets, which was the second most after Russia.
  The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, completed in 2016, is the world's largest radio telescope.
caption: Artist's impression of the Chinese space station, c. 2005.[161]
exif: {}