China to start building first space station as part of ambitious plans for year ahead
- The country is planning over 40 rocket launches this year, the highest ever total, as it continues to expand its presence in space
- Next month will also see the country’s first mission to Mars attempting to land a rover on the surface of the planet
China is planning to carry out more than 40 rocket launches this year, the highest ever total, as it continues to expand its ambitions in space.
The planned launches include the core module of China’s first space station, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST)’s official WeChat account.
Before 2007, China had never carried out more than 10 launches a year. But since then it has gathered momentum, carrying out 152 launches over the last five years – more than any other country.
“China’s manned space station project will enter a critical stage, and will be the top priority of the space programme throughout the year,” CAST said on Tuesday.
It plans to launch the core module of the Tiangong Space Station in spring and aims to complete the construction by the end of next year.
Astronauts are already in training for the mission, and will also carry out retrieval missions and test in-orbit technologies, according to state media.