China’s space programme is run by the Space Administration, and the provision of space equipment is the responsibility of the China Aerospace Corporation. The actual implementation of the space programme is carried out by various companies. China’s Space Administration was established in 1993 and is subordinate to the Ministry of Aerospace Industry. China has allocated significant financial and political resources to its space programme, with the overall aim of improving military space applications and developing human spaceflight and lunar exploration programmes.

In 1970, China launched its first satellite, and in 2003 became the third country to carry out a manned spaceflight by its own efforts. 2011 and 2016 saw the launch of two manned space laboratories, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 (Tiangong is translated as Heavenly Palace). In 2022, China commissioned its Tiangong Space Station, the first to be entirely built and maintained by the country. It is expected to last 10 years. During the 2010s, China launched more than 200 satellites into orbit, with more launches per year than the United States. China has the second largest number of satellites in space after the United States.

China’s civil space programme is focused on the BeiDou network of positioning, navigation and timing satellites completed in 2020. It differs from the US GPS and EU Galileo systems in that BeiDou provides user tracking, SMS and mass messaging services, in addition to positioning and time information.

China made history in 2019 when it became the first to land a spacecraft on the other side of the Moon. In 2022, China successfully put a rover on Mars, and also arranged for the Tianwen-1, a Chinese probe orbiting Mars, to send back a “selfie” of itself and Mars. China aims to carry out a manned spaceflight to the Moon in 2036.

China has significant satellite-based intelligence and surveillance capabilities. They are used for both military and civilian purposes, for remote sensing and for land & sea surveillance and reconnaissance. This system is the second largest after that of the United States.

China is also investing in its anti-satellite capabilities (ASAT), supported by its extensive Space Situational Awareness network (SSA) which includes telescopes, radars and other sensors. A missile test carried out in 2007, in which China destroyed its former weather satellite at an altitude of 900 kilometres, attracted much attention due to the space debris caused by the operation.

In 2015, China established its Armed Forces’ Strategic Support Forces (SSF) – which are responsible for operations in outer space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, and also for developing, operating and maintaining the necessary capabilities. The SSF forms the core of China’s information warfare capabilities.

The Chinese armed forces have developed electronic warfare capabilities for jamming space activities. In addition, they have a ground-launched anti-satellite missile system (ASAT) aimed at destroying low-orbit (LEO) targets. China is also developing laser weapons and high-power systems that can destroy or damage satellites.

In February 2022, President Xi Jinping defined China’s ambitions concerning space as 1) exploring the cosmos, 2) developing the space industry, and 3) building China into a space superpower.