SCIO press conference on 'China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective' white paper
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 30, 2022
Wu Yanhua:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am glad to meet you and grateful for your care and support for China's space industry. Today, we are here to release China's fifth white paper on space activities — "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective" — to enhance your understanding of China's space development and envision the bright prospects for cooperation. China's space industry has forged ahead, secured new achievements, and made great strides in the past five years: the Chang'e lunar probes exploring the moon; the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) starting operation; the Zhurong rover probing Mars; the Xihe satellite exploring the sun; the Tianhe space station core module traveling among the stars; and the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (also known as Wukong or Monkey King) and the Huiyan (Insight) Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope unraveling the mysteries of the universe.
The last five years have seen innovation and development for China's space industry. With the accelerated improvement of launch vehicles, the new generation of non-toxic and pollution-free launch vehicles, such as Long March-5, are now in service. The commercial carrier rockets have continued to emerge, forming a diversified launching capability covering land and sea. Over the past five years, a total of 207 launch missions have been completed, with the success rate of the Long March series carrier rockets being 96.7%. Major space programs have born rich fruit. The construction of China's space station is fully underway. Six astronauts have been stationed in two missions, starting an era of long-term presence of people in the space station. The Chang'e-4 lunar probe has performed humanity's first-ever soft landing on the moon's far side and conducting roving explorations; the Chang'e-5 lunar probe has retrieved 1,731 g of samples. The Tianwen-1 mission has left China's first mark on Mars for the first time, helping the country achieve a leap from cislunar to interplanetary exploration. The infrastructure of China's space station has been consistently improved. The BDS has been completed and put into operation. Meanwhile, the high-resolution earth observation system has built systematic capabilities.
The last five years have seen China's space industry contributing to society. More than 500 satellites of various types are operating in orbit, extensively serving socio-economic development and playing an essential role in building a peaceful, beautiful, and digital China. Communications satellites have provided more than 140 million families in rural and remote areas with remote education, telemedicine, and rural e-commerce services. Therefore, they have contributed to poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. In addition, more than 100 million remote sensing satellite images have been distributed, effectively fulfilling the demands of weather forecasting, territorial planning, ecological protection, the marine economy, and disaster emergency management. The BeiDou system has been widely used for traveling, intelligent logistics, and precision agriculture, especially providing precise positioning and navigation services in COVID-19 prevention and control. The space technology achievements have promoted the development of emerging industries, such as new energy and materials, and facilitated the emergence of new business forms such as smart cities and unmanned driving. The development of commercial space enterprises is thriving.
Over the past five years, China's space industry has made continuous exploration and breakthroughs. It has focused on scientific topics such as the origin and evolution of the universe and the relations between the solar system and humanity. It has been supported by space science satellites and lunar exploration, Mars exploration, and manned space missions. As a result, China's space industry has carried out exploration and experimental research on space science and has made a number of innovative achievements that all humanity can share.
For example, the Huiyan Telescope successfully observed the black hole explosion process. The Wukong Explorer acquired the refined structure of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays. The satellite Zhangheng-1 built models of the global geomagnetic field, and the TANSAT satellite developed a high-precision map of the worldwide distribution of carbon dioxide. The lunar exploration missions revealed the subsurface structure of the moon's far side, confirming that there were still magmatic activities on the moon 2 billion years ago. Finally, Tianqin-1, Taiji-1, and Xihe satellites have provided new research methods regarding space gravitational waves and solar physics.
The last five years have seen enhanced cooperation and sharing in China's space industry. The Chinese space community has cooperated with international partners to help realize the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals by applying sustainable aerospace technologies. It also signed about 50 agreements or memorandums of understanding during the last five years. For example, China initiated the International Lunar Research Station project jointly with Russia and conducted extensive cooperation in manned space exploration, lunar exploration, and Mars exploration missions. In addition, it has agreed to cooperate on the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation and successfully launched the China-France Oceanography Satellite and the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite. Furthermore, it has promoted the BeiDou standards to be included in the standard systems of several international organizations in the fields such as civil aviation and maritime affairs. Data from Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6 satellites have been distributed freely worldwide via a cloud platform, with about 550,000 users from 158 countries and regions accessing the data. In addition, five of China's satellites and three satellite constellations have joined the mechanism of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, and meteorological satellite data have been used in 121 countries and regions. China has supported the space capacity building of developing countries and shared the achievements of China's space development through various means, including infrastructure construction, talent training, and data application.
In the following five years, China's space industry will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and adhere to the principles of innovation-driven, coordinated, efficient, and peaceful progress based on cooperation and sharing. Focusing on building China's strength in aerospace and developing a high-quality space industry will promote the comprehensive development of space science, space technologies, and space applications to contribute to building a great modern socialist country and to humanity's cause of peace and development.
First, we will promote the implementation of significant projects through innovation. We will build China's space station and the High-Resolution Earth Observation System, implement new major projects, including the fourth phase of the Lunar Exploration Program and planetary exploration, and promote the research and development of heavy-lift launch vehicles. We will establish near-earth asteroid impact risk response systems, develop essential programs such as the boundary exploration of the solar system, and further expand the launch vehicle family. Furthermore, we will continue to upgrade national space infrastructure and improve the ability of the space environment governance system.
Second, we will develop and expand the space application industry. We will promote the deep integration of space applications and the digital economy, enrich application scenarios, innovate business models, and deepen the comprehensive application of communications, navigation, and remote-sensing technologies. We will accelerate the transfer and transformation of space technology achievements to serve the economy and society and develop new business models of the space economy such as space travel, space biomedicine, and space breeding.
Third, we will make overall plans for research on space science. Critical areas such as space astronomy, space physics, lunar and planetary science, and space earth sciences will be systematically promoted. Space science satellites such as the satellite for space gravitational wave detection, the Einstein Probe, and an advanced space-based solar observatory will be developed. We will also use platforms including China's space station and lunar and deep space probes to continuously carry out frontier science exploration and basic research to generate more original scientific findings.
Fourth, we will create a sound environment for space industry development. The innovative systems that deeply integrate enterprises, universities, research institutes, and end-users will be improved and the fundamental capacity of the space industry will be strengthened. Regulations on managing satellite frequency, orbit resources and the BDS will be formulated. Guidelines for the development of the commercial space industry will be issued to promote the law-based governance of the space industry. China will build a high-level team of aerospace professionals and step up its efforts to become a world center for talent and innovation in space science. We will also carry out education campaigns to popularize space knowledge and culture, promote the spirit embodied in the development of China's space industry, and create a favorable environment for the whole society to develop an interest in science, to explore the unknown, and to be bold in blazing new trails.
Fifth, we will broaden and deepen international cooperation. China actively participates in the global governance of outer space and provides Chinese solutions to areas such as near-earth objects monitoring and response, planet protection, and space traffic management. In addition, China will work with other countries, international organizations, and partners to build an international research station on the moon, implement the cooperation agreements for the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation, and promote the global application of space information services. More extensive and diversified international mutually beneficial cooperation will also be carried out in lunar exploration, space station, planetary exploration, and the BDS.
Exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes is the shared dream of all humanity. When we look up at the stars, we are in the meantime making unremitting efforts to explore the space. As long as we join hands, we will make steady progress in space exploration. China is ready to work with the international community to accelerate the development of a high-quality and sustainable space industry that can improve people's wellbeing. In this way, China will also make new pioneering contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and advancing the progress of human civilization and peaceful development.
Thank you. Now, my colleagues and I would like to answer your questions.
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