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Space Agencies and Companies

China National Space Administration

Also Known As CNSA
Space Agencies of Asia

China's national space agency, which has flown crewed missions since 2003, built the Tiangong space station, and landed robotic missions on the far side of the Moon and on Mars.

Facts
Agency Type
National space agency 1
Founded Year
1993 1
Headquarters
Beijing, China 1
Head
Shan Zhongde (Administrator, appointed January 2025) 2
Annual Budget
US$18.15 billion for 2023, a 28.54% increase over the prior year; China does not publish an official space budget figure, so this is an outside tracking estimate. 3
Capability
Orbital Launch 4
Connections

Associated With

Chen Dong, Astronauts and Cosmonauts
Source Wikipedia: Chen Dong (taikonaut)
Qian Xuesen, Pioneers

Qian Xuesen founded China's own missile and space research program after returning to China in 1955, laying the institutional foundation from which the China National Space Administration later grew.

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Qian Xuesen (Wikipedia)Wikipedia: Qian Xuesen, lead section

Long-Form Articles

Why China split policy from execution in 1993, Articles

Operates

Chang'e 1, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e 2, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e 3, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e 4, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e 5, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e 6, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Chang'e Program, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia) - operator
Chen Dong, Astronauts and Cosmonauts
Source Wikipedia: Chen Dong (taikonaut)
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Missions and Programs
Source Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)
Double Star (satellite), Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia: Double Star (satellite)
Fei Junlong, Astronauts and Cosmonauts
Source Fei Junlong - Wikipedia
Long March 1, Launch Vehicles
Source Encyclopedia Astronautica
Long March 11, Launch Vehicles
Source Encyclopedia Astronautica
Long March 3B, Launch Vehicles
Source Encyclopedia Astronautica
Long March 5, Launch Vehicles
Source Encyclopedia Astronautica
Long March 6, Launch Vehicles
Source Encyclopedia Astronautica
Planetary Exploration of China, Missions and Programs
Source Planetary Exploration of China (Wikipedia)
Shenzhou, Spacecraft

Shenzhou is the China National Space Administration's crewed spacecraft, in service since 2003.

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Wikipedia - Shenzhou (spacecraft)Wikipedia: Shenzhou (spacecraft), lead section
Space Variable Objects Monitor, Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia: Space Variable Objects Monitor
Tiangong Program, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Tiangong program (Wikipedia)Tiangong program, lead section
Tianwen-1, Missions and Programs
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Tianwen-1 (Wikipedia)Wikipedia: Tianwen-1, lead section
Tianzhou, Spacecraft

Tianzhou is the China National Space Administration's uncrewed cargo spacecraft, resupplying the Tiangong space station.

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Wikipedia - Tianzhou (spacecraft)Wikipedia: Tianzhou (spacecraft), lead section
Yinghuo-1, Spacecraft
Source Yinghuo-1 (Gunter's Space Page)
Yutu (rover), Spacecraft
Source Gunter's Space Page: Chang'e 3, 4 (CE 3, 4) / Yutu 1, 2
Yutu-2, Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Yutu-2 (Wikipedia)Infobox: operator
Zhurong, Spacecraft

Zhurong is the China National Space Administration's Mars rover, part of the Tianwen-1 mission, which landed in 2021.

Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Wikipedia - Zhurong (rover)Wikipedia: Zhurong (rover), lead section
In the Other Atlases

Located In

China

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Agency Type: National space agency
  • Founded Year: 1993
  • Headquarters: Beijing, China
View the Source
2. China in Space (newsletter): Shan Zhongde Becomes New Head of CNSA
China in SpaceChina in Space newsletter, Shan Zhongde CNSA appointment article
Quote, China in Space newsletter, Shan Zhongde CNSA appointment article
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China announced on January 10th that Shan Zhongde was appointed as the new Administrator of the China National Space Administration, often shortened to CNSA.
View the Source
3. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationChina National Space Administration, infobox (budget field)
Quote, China National Space Administration, infobox (budget field)
US$18.15 billion (2023) 28.54% increase
View the Source
4. Orbit Codex: China National Space Administration
Orbit CodexProfile summary
Quote, Profile summary
We track 2 launches by CNSA: 2 successful, from Chang'e 5 (3 Dec 2020) to Chang'e 6 (3 Jun 2024).
View the Source
Wikipedia: China National Space Administration
Wikimedia FoundationHistory
Quote, History
CNSA is an agency created in 1993 when the Ministry of Aerospace Industry was split into CNSA and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The former was to be responsible for policy, while the latter was to be responsible for execution.
View the Source
Encyclopedia Astronautica
  • Operates: Long March 1
  • Operates: Long March 3B
  • Operates: Long March 5
  • Operates: Long March 6
  • Operates: Long March 11
Gunter's Space Page: Chang'e 3, 4 (CE 3, 4) / Yutu 1, 2
Gunter's Space PageOperates: Yutu (rover), Technical data, Operator
Quote, Operates: Yutu (rover), Technical data, Operator
Operator: CNSA
View the Source
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia)
  • Operates: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Lead, first paragraph
    by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e Program, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Wikipedia) - operator
    China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 1, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 2, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 3, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 4, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 5, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
  • Operates: Chang'e 6, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
    is the first and ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
View the Source
Yinghuo-1 (Gunter's Space Page)
Operates: Yinghuo-1, Operator
Quote, Operates: Yinghuo-1, Operator
CNSA
View the Source
Planetary Exploration of China (Wikipedia)
Operates: Planetary Exploration of China, Lead
Quote, Operates: Planetary Exploration of China, Lead
is the robotic interplanetary spaceflight program conducted by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) since 2020
View the Source
Wikipedia: Space Variable Objects Monitor
Operates: Space Variable Objects Monitor, Lead paragraph, operator
Quote, Operates: Space Variable Objects Monitor, Lead paragraph, operator
The Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is a small X-ray telescope satellite developed by China National Space Administration (CNSA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the French Space Agency (CNES), launched on 22 June 2024 (07:00:00 UTC).
View the Source
Tiangong program (Wikipedia)
Operates: Tiangong Program, Tiangong program, lead sectionView the Source
Qian Xuesen (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Qian Xuesen, Wikipedia: Qian Xuesen, lead sectionView the Source
Wikipedia - Zhurong (rover)
Operates: Zhurong, Wikipedia: Zhurong (rover), lead sectionView the Source
Wikipedia - Tianzhou (spacecraft)
Operates: Tianzhou, Wikipedia: Tianzhou (spacecraft), lead sectionView the Source
Wikipedia - Shenzhou (spacecraft)
Operates: Shenzhou, Wikipedia: Shenzhou (spacecraft), lead sectionView the Source
Yutu-2 (Wikipedia)
Operates: Yutu-2, Infobox: operator
Quote, Operates: Yutu-2, Infobox: operator
CNSA
View the Source
Tianwen-1 (Wikipedia)
Operates: Tianwen-1, Wikipedia: Tianwen-1, lead sectionView the Source
Wikipedia: Chen Dong (taikonaut)
  • Operates: Chen Dong, Lead sentence
    A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), he was selected to be a CNSA taikonaut in 2010.
  • Associated With: Chen Dong, Lead sentence
    A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), he was selected to be a CNSA taikonaut in 2010.
View the Source
Fei Junlong - Wikipedia
Operates: Fei Junlong, Article text: agency link
Quote, Operates: Fei Junlong, Article text: agency link
Fei was selected for the CNSA astronaut program in 1998.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Double Star (satellite)
Operates: Double Star (satellite), Article text: operator
Quote, Operates: Double Star (satellite), Article text: operator
joint satellite based space mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA)
View the Source
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