China’s aeronautics and astronautics industry
was established in the 1950s. At Xi’an, Shanghai,
Shenyang and Chengdu, respectively, there are four large
airplane manufacturing bases, capable of producing civilian
and military aircraft. The “Yun 7” airliner
produced by the Xi’an Aircraft Corporation has become
the major type used for medium and short domestic flights.
Since 1979, the China Aerospace Corporation has established
trade, economic and technical cooperation relationships with
more than 70 countries and regions, one after another, in
various forms. It has exported airplanes, engines and
airborne installations to several countries, and
manufactured airplanes and engine components for foreign
factories and business people. With a complete system
encompassing research, design, trial manufacture, testing
and production, China’s astronautics industry is
capable of developing various types of carrier rockets, and
developing and launching all kinds of satellites. Moreover,
an aerospace instrumentation and command system has been
established. Now among the world's leaders insatellite
research and launching, China has mastered all kinds of
technologies, including satellite recovery, the launching of
satellites with single carrier rockets, satellite survey and
control, and strong-propulsion carrier rocket trussing.
China is capable of launching remote-sensing satellites into
near-earth orbit and earth-synchronous orbit, and
meteorological satellites into sun- synchronous or.bit. It
is also capable of providing satellite launching and
monitoring and control services for foreign countries. On
November 20, 1999 the first spacecraft, named
“Shenzhou,” developed by China was launched by a
China-made carrier rocket, and returned to earth after
fulfilling space science experiments. According to
statistics, between 1970 and 1999, China’s Long March
series carrier rockets successfully launched 51 satellites
(excluding those lanched by China for foreign countries).
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