SpaceNews (January 3) reported from Helsinki that the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
(CASC) stated on social media that it will target more than 40 orbital launches this year, including completion
of the Tiangong space station, following 48 successful launches in 2021. It disclosed the station’s third
crewed mission, Shenzhou-14, will follow Tianzhou-4 and that Tianzhou-5 will launch ahead of Shenzhou15, both scheduled for late in the year. The Tiangong space station is planned to operate in orbit for at least
ten years. It will host a range of international experiments through collaboration with the United Nations
Office of Outer Space Affairs, and potentially foreign astronauts and further modules in the coming years.
CASC will also launch the first Long March 6A, featuring a liquid core with solid boosters, from a new
complex constructed at the Taiyuan spaceport. The Long March 8 will launch for the second time in February,
but it is unknown if the mission will include tests related to plans for the eventual recovery and reuse of its
first stage. The Long March 3B will likely launch a number of communications and possibly replacement
Beidou satellites in geosynchronous and medium Earth orbits. Weather, remote sensing, technology test and
classified Shiyan and Shijian satellites can also be expected to be sent into orbit. A number of sea launches
of the Long March 11 are also expected from a new Eastern spaceport in Shandong province, established to
facilitate maritime missions. CASC will be continuing development of two new super heavy-lift launch
vehicles, the Long March 9, and a new rocket for lunar crewed missions. In addition to CASC activity a
number of launches will be conducted by companies which are spinoffs from CASC and two other giant
state-owned entities, the China Aerospace Science, and Industry Corp. (CASIC), and the Chinese Academy
of Sciences (CAS). These include Expace, Zhongke Aerospace (also known as CAS Space), China Rocket
and the private firm Galactic Energy.
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