Historical Organization
China National Space Administration
China National Space Administration
Details
Organization Timeline
China launches first crewed space mission
đź“… 15 October 2003Yang Liwei launched aboard Shenzhou 5, making China the third country to independently send a human into space. The mission signaled technological and industrial capabilities associated with a...
China launches Chang’e 1 lunar orbiter
đź“… 24 October 2007China launched its first lunar probe, beginning a sustained program of robotic and crewed space exploration. The mission marked technological capability and national ambition, while expanding...
China launches Tiangong-1 space laboratory
đź“… 29 September 2011China launched its first space laboratory module, a step toward developing a permanent crewed space station. The program built independent technological capacity after exclusion from the International...
China launches the world’s first quantum science satellite
đź“… 16 August 2016The QUESS satellite, later named Micius, was launched to test quantum communications over long distances. The mission demonstrated advanced research capabilities and stimulated international...
Chang’e 4 makes the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side
📅 3 January 2019China’s lunar probe landed in the Von Kármán crater and deployed the Yutu-2 rover. The mission marked a first in space exploration and involved international scientific payloads, demonstrating how...
BeiDou-3 global navigation system commissioned
đź“… 31 July 2020China declared its BeiDou-3 satellite navigation system complete and operational, providing an alternative to GPS and other global systems. The network represents an important strategic and commercial...
Chang’e 5 returns lunar samples to Earth
📅 17 December 2020The mission’s return capsule landed in Inner Mongolia with lunar material, the first such return by any country since 1976. The success strengthened China’s scientific position and provided samples...
China’s Tianwen-1 lander reaches Mars
đź“… 15 May 2021The Tianwen-1 lander touched down in Utopia Planitia and deployed the Zhurong rover. China became the second country to operate a rover on Mars, marking a rapid expansion of independent planetary...
Chang’e 6 lunar sample-return mission launches
📅 3 May 2024China launched Chang’e 6 to collect the first samples from the Moon’s far side, with payloads from international partners including Pakistan, France, Italy, and the European Space Agency. The...
Chang’e 6 lands on the far side of the Moon
📅 2 June 2024China’s Chang’e 6 lander touched down in the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken Basin to collect samples, a first in lunar exploration. The mission demonstrated advanced scientific capacity and expanded China’s...
Tianwen-2 asteroid sample-return mission launches
📅 29 May 2025China launched Tianwen-2, its first mission designed to collect samples from an asteroid and return them to Earth. The mission extended China’s deep-space exploration beyond lunar and Mars missions....
CNSA outlines an intensive 2026 space program
📅 17 April 2026China’s space agency outlined planned missions, including Tianwen-2’s asteroid observations and activities in human spaceflight and commercial aerospace. The program presents space capability as...
China marks its 11th Space Day with new industrial priorities
📅 24 April 2026On Space Day, China’s space agency described plans for lunar exploration, human spaceflight, satellite internet and reusable launch systems. Officials linked the sector to industrial modernization and...
China launches three Yaogan-51 remote-sensing satellites
📅 5 November 2026Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, reported that at 23:58 Beijing time on 5 November a Long March-2C rocket launched Yaogan-51 satellites 07–09 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and...