Country dossier · CHN

China

Leading space power

A sourced snapshot of China's posture in space — capability, institutions, orbital assets, law and people. Every figure carries its primary source; gaps are shown honestly, never filled with invented data.

Open China in the interactive workspace →

Capability tier

Leading space power

Launches to orbit from its own territory: yesLaunch sites on record: 8Nationals who have flown: 26

Source: ALL IN SPACE capability ladder · see methodology

Space agency

CNSA

National space agency · established 1993 · two-source verified

Source: UNOOSA · Worldwide Space Agencies directory

Satellites (owner state)

1,250

Counted from the GCAT May 2026 snapshot. The interactive workspace shows a live CelesTrak figure, which uses different owner-attribution rules and will differ.

Source: GCAT · General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell) · May 2026 snapshot

Ground stations

39

Source: ALL IN SPACE curated ground-station dataset (operator-sourced)

Space budget

$22B

Leading spender · 2026 · CNSA, PLA Aerospace Force

Source: Novaspace · Government Space Programs

National strategy

China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective (White Paper) (2022)

Quinquennial State Council white paper setting out goals across launch, infrastructure, science, deep space exploration and governance through the next five years.

Source: Published national space strategies and policies

International space law

InstrumentStatus
Outer Space Treaty 1967Ratified
Rescue Agreement 1968Ratified
Liability Convention 1972Ratified
Registration Convention 1975Ratified
Moon Agreement 1979Not a party
Artemis Accords 2020Not a signatory

Source: Status of international agreements relating to activities in outer space (1 January 2026)

Launch sites

  • Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (Base 20, Dongfeng Aerospace City)PLA Aerospace Force / China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) · Ejin Banner (Inner Mongolia) / Jiuquan, Gansu · orbital · since 1970
  • Xichang Satellite Launch Center (Base 27)PLA Aerospace Force / CLTC · Zeyuan, Mianning County, Liangshan, Sichuan · orbital · since 1984
  • Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (Base 25)PLA Aerospace Force / CLTC · Kelan County, Xinzhou, Shanxi · orbital · since 1988
  • Wenchang Space Launch SiteCASC / China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) · Wenchang, Hainan · orbital · since 2016
  • Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site (Wenchang International Commercial Aerospace Launch Centre)Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. (HICAL) · Wenchang, Hainan (adjacent to Wenchang SLS) · orbital · since 2024
  • Haiyang Oriental Spaceport (Yellow Sea sea launch base)CASC / China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT); under Taiyuan SLC · Haiyang, Yantai, Shandong (home port); Yellow Sea launch zone · sea-based orbital · since 2019
  • South China Sea mobile launch zoneCALT / China Rocket Co. (Jielong-3) and CAS Space (Lijian / Kinetica) · Waters off Yangjiang / Wenchang, South China Sea · sea-based orbital · since 2022
  • Rizhao offshore launch point (Yellow Sea)Galactic Energy / Orienspace / CAS Space (commercial sea launches) · Near-shore waters off Rizhao, Shandong, Yellow Sea · sea-based orbital · since 2024

Source: National launch site roster · ALL IN SPACE compilation

Astronauts

  • Yang LiweiCNSA · first flight 2003 · First Chinese citizen in space
  • Fei JunlongCNSA · first flight 2005
  • Nie HaishengCNSA · first flight 2005
  • Zhai ZhigangCNSA · first flight 2008 · First Chinese spacewalk
  • Liu BomingCNSA · first flight 2008
  • Jing HaipengCNSA · first flight 2008
  • Liu WangCNSA · first flight 2012
  • Liu YangCNSA · first flight 2012 · First Chinese woman in space
  • Zhang XiaoguangCNSA · first flight 2013
  • Wang YapingCNSA · first flight 2013 · First Chinese woman to spacewalk
  • Chen DongCNSA · first flight 2016
  • Tang HongboCNSA · first flight 2021
  • Ye GuangfuCNSA · first flight 2021
  • Cai XuzheCNSA · first flight 2022
  • Deng QingmingCNSA · first flight 2022
  • Zhang LuCNSA · first flight 2022
  • Zhu YangzhuCNSA · first flight 2023 · Civilian payload expert
  • Gui HaichaoCNSA · first flight 2023 · First Chinese civilian astronaut
  • Tang ShengjieCNSA · first flight 2023
  • Jiang XinlinCNSA · first flight 2023
  • Li CongCNSA · first flight 2024
  • Li GuangsuCNSA · first flight 2024
  • Song LingdongCNSA · first flight 2024
  • Wang HaozeCNSA · first flight 2024 · Third Chinese woman in space; first female space engineer
  • Chen ZhongruiCNSA · first flight 2025
  • Wang JieCNSA · first flight 2025

Source: Astronaut biographies

Milestones

  • 1970First orbital launch from national soil
  • 1993CNSA established
  • 2003First national in space

Notable missions and contributions

  • Tiangong Space Station (2022)
  • Tianwen-1 / Zhurong Mars rover (2021)
  • Chang'e-4 lunar far-side landing (2019)
  • BeiDou Global Navigation Satellite System
  • Shenzou crewed programme
  • Tianwen-2 asteroid sample-return mission (launched 29 May 2025 on a Long March 3B from Xichang); China's first asteroid sample-return mission, en route to near-Earth quasi-satellite 469219 Kamo'oalewa (2016 HO3), with sample return to Earth planned for late 2027 and a follow-on flyby of main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS