Chinese Academy of Sciences – Spaceflight Now

August 16, 2025

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China launches experimental Shiyan satellite

April 13, 2021 Stephen Clark

China launched the third in a series of experimental Shiyan 6 satellites April 8 aboard a Long March 4B rocket, beginning a mission to test new space technologies, including a new super-black coating to absorb stray light and improve the sensitivity of on-board optics.

China’s Tianwen 1 mission targets mid-May landing on Mars

April 1, 2021 Stephen Clark

China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft — in orbit around Mars since February — is scheduled to deploy a descent module to attempt the country’s first landing on the Red Planet in mid-May. Officials plan to share the Mars rover’s scientific data with researchers around the world, a senior Chinese scientist said last week.

China launches two small satellites for gravitational wave research

December 10, 2020 Stephen Clark

Two small Chinese satellites designed to detect gamma-ray bursts associated with gravitational waves launched Wednesday on a Long March 11 rocket, beginning an astrophysics research mission to study black holes and neutron stars.

China launches robotic mission to orbit, land, and drive on Mars

July 23, 2020 Stephen Clark

A heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket propelled China’s first Mars landing mission toward the Red Planet on Thursday after launching from a seaside spaceport on Hainan Island, the second of three international Mars probes expected to depart planet Earth this month.

China moves massive rocket into place for ambitious Mars shot

July 21, 2020 Stephen Clark

China’s heaviest rocket has rolled to its launch pad for liftoff Thursday with the country’s first Mars landing mission, an ambitious attempt to place an orbiter around the Red Planet and a robotic rover on the Martian surface in early 2021.

China launches three military satellites

March 24, 2020 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese military satellites with undisclosed missions rocketed into a 370-mile-high orbit Tuesday on a Long March 2C launcher.

China’s Kuaizhou launcher flies for second time in four days

November 19, 2019 Stephen Clark

Demonstrating a quick turnaround launch capability, China launched a light-class, solid-fueled Kuaizhou 1A rocket Sunday, four days after the same type of satellite booster fired into orbit from the same launch pad.

Two satellites launch aboard Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket

September 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

Two experimental Chinese satellites have launched on a Kuaizhou 1A rocket from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China.

Chinese astronomy satellite placed into orbit by Long March rocket

June 15, 2017 Stephen Clark

China’s first X-ray astronomy satellite launched Thursday on a mission to survey the Milky Way galaxy for black holes and pulsars, the remnants left behind after a star burns up its nuclear fuel.

China sends carbon-monitoring satellite into orbit

December 22, 2016 Stephen Clark

A Chinese satellite designed to track greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere rode into orbit Wednesday aboard a Long March 2D rocket, joining an international fleet of orbiting carbon dioxide monitors aimed at combating climate change.

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