The Chinese Space Program

China has one of the most active space programs in the world. It has sent astronauts, called taikonauts, into space. China has built its own space station called Tiangong. It has also landed rovers on the Moon and Mars. China is the third country to send humans to space on its own.

China's Space Achievements

In 2003, Yang Liwei became the first Chinese person in space. China later sent rovers to the Moon, including one to the far side that no country had visited before. In 2021, China landed the Zhurong rover on Mars. The Tiangong space station was completed in 2022 and now hosts crews of taikonauts.

Future Plans

China has big plans for the future. It wants to send taikonauts to the Moon by around 2030. China is also planning to build a research base on the Moon's south pole. Scientists are working on more powerful rockets to make these goals possible. China's space program keeps growing year after year.

Fun Facts

• Chinese astronauts are called taikonauts, from the Chinese word 'taikong' meaning space.
• China's Yutu-2 rover was the first to drive on the far side of the Moon.
• The Tiangong space station orbits Earth about 16 times a day.

Did You Know?

China is only the third country to independently send humans into space, after the Soviet Union and the United States.