China Space Program

China became the third country ever to launch a human into space in 2003 and has been expanding its space program ever since. Get the latest news about China's space program, launches and space missions.

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Tracks and the distant rim of Von Kármán crater, imaged by Yutu 2 in June 2020.

China's Chang'e 4 moon mission completes 20th day on lunar farside

By Andrew Jones

China's Chang'e 4 moon lander and rover have concluded their science tasks for a 20th lunar day on the far side of the moon.

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket lifts off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the province of Shanxi . The rocket carried the Ziyuan III 03 Earth-mapping satellite and two other satellites to hunt dark matter and collect data.

China launches 3 satellites into orbit, including a 'lobster-eye' to hunt dark matter

By Tariq Malik

The satellites will map Earth, dark matter and more.

A still image showing China's Tianwen-1 Mars spacecraft as seen by the Hawaii-based asteroid survey ATLAS.

NASA asteroid camera spots China's Tianwen-1 Mars spacecraft speeding away from Earth

By Meghan Bartels

An observatory affiliated with NASA's quest to identify potentially dangerous asteroids spotted something equally speedy but not quite as natural: a spacecraft bound for Mars.

A Chinese Long March 5 rocket launches the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 Mars rover, lander and orbiter from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island on July 23, 2020.

China launches ambitious Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission

By Mike Wall

The Tianwen-1 mission launched atop a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center early this morning (July 23), kicking off a seven-month cruise to Mars.

The Long March-5 rocket for China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission was transported to the launch area at China’s Wenchang Space Launch Center on July 17, 2020. Note the logos of the European (ESA), French (CNES), Argentine (CONAE) and Austrian (FFG) space agencies in addition to that of the China National Space Agency (CNSA).

China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission gets a boost from international partners

By Leonard David

China's bid to explore Mars involves several other nations for tracking, orbital relay of data and science instrument support.

An artist's illustration of China's first Mars rover Tianwen-1 on the Red Planet. The mission launches on July 23, 2020.

China's first Mars rover Tianwen-1 launches this week. Here's what it will do.

By Andrew Jones

China's Mars rover will likely attempt to land at a site in northeastern Mars, according to a new paper published just days ahead of the mission's launch.

The Chinese Long March-5 rocket carrying China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission rolls out to the launch pad on July 17, 2020.

China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission rolls out to launch pad (photos, video)

By Leonard David

China's first fully homegrown Mars mission, Tianwen-1, rolled out to its launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province today (July 17).

The failed launch of the first Kuaizhou-11 from Jiuquan, July 10, 2020.

China's Kuaizhou-11 rocket fails hours after Long March booster soars to space

By Elizabeth Howell

China lost a rocket one day after a successful launch from another space center.

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket carrying Gaofen remote-sensing satellite and the Xibaipo space science satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on July 3, 2020.

China launches 3 satellites on 2 rockets in 3 days

By Elizabeth Howell

China just put three satellites into space during two launches from different space centers in three days.

China's Yutu 2 moon rover captured this image of glassy material from the edge of a small crater.

Chinese scientists reveal analysis of weird substance found on the moon's far side by Yutu 2 rover

By Andrew Jones

Chinese scientists have published an analysis of a curious substance on the moon which generated widespread interest following its discovery by the Yutu 2 rover last year.

An image from Longjiang 2 of the solar eclipse that crossed over South America on July 2, 2019.

A tiny Chinese satellite spotted the 2019 total solar eclipse from the moon

By Andrew Jones

A tiny Chinese satellite in lunar orbit captured incredible images of a total solar eclipse over South America last year, thanks to commands from radio enthusiasts.

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches the final Beidou navigation satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China on June 23, 2020.

China launches final Beidou satellite to complete GPS-like navigation system

By Elizabeth Howell

China successfully launched the final member in its Beidou satellite constellation Tuesday (June 23) completing a new global navigation system 30 years in the making.

China's next-generation crew capsule bears scars from its fiery return to Earth following an uncrewed test flight to orbit in May 2020.

China reveals details of next-gen crew spacecraft's 1st test flight

By Andrew Jones

A first glimpse inside the prototype of China's next-generation crew-carrying spacecraft has been provided in Beijing following a successful uncrewed test flight in May.

The Chang'e 4 lander imaged by Yutu 2, released in May 2020.

China's Chang'e 4 moon rover mission is back in action on lunar farside

By Andrew Jones

China's Chang'e 4 mission is back in action for its 19th lunar day of activity on the far side of the moon, with the Yutu 2 rover set to scope out a new crater.

A Chinese Long March 2C rocket launches the Haiyang 1D ocean monitoring satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, on June 11, 2020.

China launches Haiyang 1D satellite to monitor Earth's oceans

By Elizabeth Howell

An ocean observation satellite soared into space from China's Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the country's north Shanxi Province on Thursday (June 11).

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket launches the Gaofen-9 satellite to Earth orbit on May 31, 2020.

China launches 2 rockets in 2 days, lofting 4 satellites to orbit

By Elizabeth Howell

While NASA and SpaceX were busy supporting the historic Demo-2 mission last weekend, the Chinese were making space strides of their own.

A Chinese Aerospace Corporation image shows the Long March 5b's launch from Wenchang launch center May 5.

Massive piece of Chinese space junk slams uncontrolled into Earth's atmosphere

By Rafi Letzter

The 19.6 ton (17,800 kilogram) body of a Chinese rocket slammed into the planet's atmosphere today (May 11). It was the biggest such incident since 1991.