Space Program
The following are the major events in China's space technology development since the 1950s:
Oct. 8, 1956: China establishes its first institute on missile and rocket research, the No. 5 Research Institute attached to the Ministry of National Defense, with Qian Xuesen, a famous Chinese scientist returned from the United States, as the first director.
July 19, 1964: A biological rocket carrying albino rats is launched successfully from Guangde County in east China's Anhui Province, an important step forward in China's space exploration.
April 1, 1968: An institute for spaceflight-oriented medical engineering starts operation in Beijing, and it is charged with research into manned spaceflight.
April 24, 1970: China becomes the fifth country to send a satellite into orbit, as the DFH-1 scientific experimental satellite lifts off aboard a Long March rocket.
Nov. 26, 1975: China launches its first recoverable satellite, which returns to earth three days later, and becomes the third country able to operate recoverable satellites.
Sept. 7, 1988: China launches meteorological satellite FY-1A at Taiyuan launch base, north China's Shanxi Province.
April 7, 1990: A Long March CZ-3 sends AsiaSat-1 communication satellite into orbit, marking the start of China's commercial launch service.
July 16, 1990: China launches Long March CZ-2E, a cluster carrier rocket, laying a foundation for manned spacecraft launches.
1992: China lists manned spaceflight as one of its state projects, later named Shenzhou (Divine Vessel).
Nov. 20, 1999: China launches Shenzhou experimental spacecraft for the first time and the re-entry module lands in central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region the next day.
Jan. 10, 2001: Shenzhou II experimental spacecraft is successfully launched and the re-entry capsule returns to earth on Jan. 16 in central Inner Mongolia after carrying out scientific research projects.
March 25, 2002: China sends unmanned Shenzhou III into orbit and after circling the earth 108 times, the craft returns to Earth, landing in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 1.
Dec. 30, 2002: Shenzhou IV, also an unmanned spacecraft, is also launched successfully.
