Dream of Exploring the Vast Space

In 2003, China caught the attention of the whole world. The big country in the Orient, having successfully launched four unmanned spacecrafts, announced that it would launch the Shenzhou V manned spacecraft and send the first Chinese astronaut to space.

“Ready? Go!”Li Ji'nai, chief commander of China's Manned Space Program, gave the order at 5:30 am on October 15.

“Yes, sir.”Astronaut Yang Liwei made a standard military salute to him.

At nine o'clock, Long March II F carrier rocket blasted off. Nine minutes and 50 seconds later, Shenzhou V spacecraft successfully entered its preset orbit, and Yang Liwei became the first Chinese opening the door to the universe.

The long-pursued dream of flying to space has become a reality. The success of Shenzhou V mission not only became an important milestone in China's manned spaceflight program; it also ignited the patriotic enthusiasm and pride among the Chinese nation. In the minds of Chinese people, China's aerospace industry has gone far beyond its fields and industries, but is closely linked with national strength and self-confidence, and has become an important symbol of the country's power.

After the flying dream being materialized, China's aerospace, along with its national aspirations, has been marching non-stop toward the future.

In October 2005, Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft was launched, carrying two astronauts. In September 2008, Shenzhou VII was launched. From 2011 to 2013, Tiangong I space module and Shenzhou VIII , Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spacecrafts were launched in succession, making a successful space docking. From 2016 to 2017, Tiangong II laboratory, Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft and Tianzhou I cargo spaceship were launched successively, completing the rendezvous and docking, with a series of technical and space science experiments conducted in space.

Through the implementation of these missions, China has made breakthroughs and mastered such key technologies as manned space flight, space walking, space rendezvous and docking, astronaut mid-term residency, space cargo transportation, and on-orbit supplement of propellants, laying a solid foundation for space station building.

It has been 25 years for China to go from the launch of manned space program to the upcoming start of the space station. In these years, China has launched altogether 11 Shenzhou spacecrafts, two space laboratories (target aircraft) and one cargo spacecraft, and sent 14 astronauts into space, creating an unbeaten record of manned space missions. The manned space program has truly become a strong point in China's aerospace industry. As planned, China's first space station will be completed around 2022. China, once was excluded from the“club”of international space stations, is expected to become the third country in the world to have a space station.

While the manned space project still remains in full swing, another major project in China has quietly been unveiled.

On November 22, 2000, a white paper on China's space activities, first published by the State Council Information Office, clearly stated that “preliminary research on deep-space exploration based on lunar probe will be conducted.” On January 23, 2004, the lunar exploration program was approved, thus sounding the horn for the start of exploration into the deep space.

China's lunar exploration program is based on unmanned detection, and is divided into three stages:“circling”,“landing”and“returning”. The first is to launch lunar exploration satellite to carry out around-the-moon exploration, before the second step, that is, to achieve soft landing on the lunar surface and make an inspection tour, is taken. Finally, it is to return to the earth with the lunar surface samples.

It is an extraordinary challenge to travel from 36,000 km to 380,000 km and from taking off from the earth to landing on another planet.

On October 24, 2007, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, amidst the Daliang Mountains, displayed great vitality when dense clouds and mists over it slowly dis-persed. At 18:05, along with the call of“Ignition”, a Long March III-A rocket began its journey to the moon, carrying China's first lunar exploration satellite Chang'e I .

At 11:15 on November 5, Chang'e I made perilune braking for the first time. At 11:37, the satellite was successfully captured by the moon. We made it!

At that moment, audience throughout the country saw the event on television: The aerospace personnel in the hall stood up in great excitement, some cheering and some jumping up and down, some hugging and shaking hands with each other. Sun Jiadong, chief engineer of the lunar exploration project, walked to a corner and quietly turned his back then burst into tears.

Little things like this could show how challenging was the path of China's moon exploration.

Chang'e I eventually managed to impact the lunar surface in a rich sea area after 127 days of extended service. Since then, there have been three lunar probes from the Chang'e family named the three“sister flowers”who have successively went to the moon: Chang'e II has verified the key technologies for the lunar soft landing with a flight of more than 70 million km, refreshing the longest distance the Chinese spacecraft has ever reached. Chang'e III successfully landed on the moon, making China the third country in the world to achieve lunar soft landing and set the world record for the longest working hours on the moon. The three-phase reentry flight testers of the lunar exploration project verified the relevant technologies of reentry and return at an approximate second cosmic ve-locity, obtaining the first“return ticket”from the moon to the earth.

As planned, Chang'e V probe will embark on the moon later and return with lunar surface samples. Chang'e IV is also expected to be launched at the end of 2018, and achieve soft landing on the dark side of the moon with human probe for the very first time.

The steps of the Chinese people in space exploration are far from stopping. According to the deep space exploration and development plan, China will launch its first Martian probe around 2020; probes into the Mars, asteroids and Jupiter will start before 2030 to explore deeper into the space.