China in the next five years will launch 110 Long March rockets, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee said Wednesday.
According to Liang Xiaohong, cited by Xinhua, in 2011-2015 the country launched 86 such rockets, while in 2006-2010 the number of launches amounted to 48. He added that the increase demonstrates China's growing capacity in space rocket design and production.
China launched its first Long March rocket in April 1970. Since then, the family of expendable launch systems saw several generations with Long March 5 heavy lift rocket and medium Long March 7 slated to debut later this year.
China's space program dates back to October 1956, when the country's first rocket research institution – the Fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defense – was established. By 2020, China plans to build its own space station to operate in orbit and create a space laboratory.
earlier report
China Plans to Carry Out Record-Breaking Number of Space Missions in2016
Beijing will conduct over 20 space missions this year, including a launch of a manned spacecraft, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said Friday.
"This year will see more than 20 space launches, the most missions in a single year," China's major space contractor said, as quoted by the China daily newspaper.
According to the space agency, China will launch the Tiangong 2 space laboratory by late June to probe life support technologies for Beijing's future space station, as well as the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft.
China is also expected to launch two satellites for domestic navigation systems and one communications satellite for Belarus.
