Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2019 | Page 12

Chinese Space Exploration
Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary & Primary School,
Chan, Rachel – 9
Hundreds of years ago, the Ming Treasure Fleet made its journey across the seas to reach out and explore
the world. Today, the modern China has reached a lot further -- into the outer space.
The space program of the People’s Republic of China is directed by the China National Space
Administration (CNSA). In the 1950s, it started a ballistic missile program but it was not until several
decades later that a Chinese space program started which resulted in Yang Liwei’s successful flight above the
Shenzhou 5 in 2003. This achievement made China the third country to send humans into space.
When the Sputnik 1 accomplished the first artificial mankind satellite on October 4,1957, Mao decided that
time was ripe for their own attempt. China’s first ever T-7 sounding rocket was launched successfully in the
Nanhui launch site on February 19, 1960. The first successful launch of a T-7A(S1) sounding rocket
holding an experiment project (transporting eight white mice) was on July 19,1964. The first space-craft
made for human occupancy was the Shuguang-1 in January 1968. China’s Medical Space Institute was
founded on April 1,1968 and the Central Military Commission (CMC) commanded to start a selection of
astronauts.
The development of China’s first heavyweight satellite launch vehicle was started by Shanghai 2nd Bureau
of Mechanic-Electrical Industry in August 1969. A few months later, a parallel heavyweight SLV program
known as CZ-2 was started in Beijing in the First Space Academy. The second satellite launch attempt
performed on April 24, 1970 was successful. In the operation, a CZ-1 was used to launch the 173 kg Mao-
1. It was the heaviest satellite that was successfully launched. The PRC’s second satellite was launched on
March 3, 1971 with the last of the CZ-1s. The satellite was named ShiJian-1, weighing 221 kg and was
specially came with a magnetometer and a cosmic-ray/x-ray detectors.
The first crewed space program known as Project 714 was adopted in April 1971 with their goal of sending
two astronauts into space by 1973. The screening process for the candidates had ended by March 15, 1975
with 19 astronauts chosen, but the program was soon cancelled because of political turmoil, only resulting in
partial success. The CZ-2A launcher, was made to carry the Shuguang-1, but instead carried the first
FSW-0 recoverable satellite but failed. After some design reworks, the FSW-0 No.1 was successfully
launched by the new CZ-2C.
On September 9,1976 Mao died and his rival, Deng Xiaoping denounced during the Cultural Revolution
and forced to retire from his offices. First, it seemed as if new development would be slowed.
On August 10 1972, the heavy-lift SLV FB-1 made its first flight test with the results only partial success.
Then, the projects which looked unnecessary were simply cancelled. Nevertheless, the Ministry of
Aerospace Industry and Chinese Aerospace Industry was founded.
Nowadays, China is working on exploring the moon. Wish her luck ‘round the stars!