Spacetrack Directory Name | BEIDOU 3M23 |
Alternative name | 2019-061A |
Follow BEIDOU 3M23 | BEIDOU 3M23 Tracker |
Pass predictions BEIDOU 3M23 | Pass predictions BEIDOU 3M23 |
Orbit launches | 2019-09-22 (5 years ago) |
Days in orbit | 1890 |
Country/organisation of origin | Chiny (PRC) |
Starting point | XICLF (Xichang Launch Facility, China) |
Categories | |
Perigee | 21503 km |
Apogee | 21553 km |
Orbit slope (inclination) | 54.42° |
Laps per day | 2 |
Height BEIDOU 3M23 | 21535.2 km |
The space program of the People's Republic of China is directed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Its technological roots can be traced back to the late 1950s, when China began a ballistic missile program in response to perceived American (and, later, Soviet) threats. However, the first Chinese crewed space program only began several decades later, when an accelerated program of technological development culminated in Yang Liwei's successful 2003 flight aboard Shenzhou 5. This achievement made China the third country to independently send humans into space. Plans currently include a permanent Chinese space station in 2020 and crewed expeditions to the Moon.
Officials have articulated long term ambitions to exploit Earth-Moon space for industrial development.