Editing Chinese space program (section)

===China Manned Space Program (Project 921)===
{{Main|China Manned Space Program}}

====Spacecraft====

[[File:Shenzhou-13 at NMC 1.jpg|thumb|180px|alt=Return capsule and parachute of Shenzhou spacecraft|Return capsule and parachute of [[Shenzhou spacecraft]]]]
[[File:CMS 30 years exhibition.jpg|thumb|alt=Exhibition of China Manned Space Program at the National Museum of China in 2023|Exhibition of [[China Manned Space Program]] at the [[National Museum of China]] in 2023]]
In 1992, authorization and funding were given for the first phase of Project 921, which was a plan to launch a crewed spacecraft. The Shenzhou program had four uncrewed test flights and two crewed missions. The first one was [[Shenzhou 1]] on November 20, 1999. On January 9, 2001 [[Shenzhou 2]] launched carrying test animals. [[Shenzhou 3]] and [[Shenzhou 4]] were launched in 2002, carrying test dummies. Following these was the successful [[Shenzhou 5]], China's first crewed mission in space on October 15, 2003, which carried [[Yang Liwei]] in orbit for 21 hours and made China the third nation to launch a human into orbit. [[Shenzhou 6]] followed two years later ending the first phase of Project 921. Missions are launched on the [[Long March 2F]] rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) of the [[Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission]] provides engineering and administrative support for the crewed Shenzhou missions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spacefoundation.org/news/story.php?id=943 |title=China's Crewed Space Program Takes the Stage at 26th National Space Symposium |date=April 10, 2010 |publisher=The Space Foundation |access-date=March 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412021625/http://www.spacefoundation.org/news/story.php?id=943 |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

====Space laboratory====
{{Main|Project 921-2}}
The second phase of the Project 921 started with [[Shenzhou 7]], China's first spacewalk mission. Then, two crewed missions were planned to the first Chinese space laboratory. The PRC initially designed the Shenzhou spacecraft with docking technologies imported from Russia, therefore compatible with the [[International Space Station]] (ISS). On September 29, 2011, China launched [[Tiangong 1]]. This target module is intended to be the first step to testing the technology required for a planned space station.

On October 31, 2011, a Long March 2F rocket lifted the [[Shenzhou 8]] uncrewed spacecraft which docked twice with the Tiangong 1 module. The [[Shenzhou 9]] craft took off on 16 June 2012 with a crew of 3. It successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 laboratory on 18 June 2012, at 06:07 UTC, marking China's first crewed spacecraft docking.<ref>{{cite news | author=Jonathan Amos | title=Shenzhou-9 docks with Tiangong-1 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18481806 | work=BBC | date=18 June 2012 | access-date=21 June 2012}}</ref> Another crewed mission, [[Shenzhou 10]], launched on 11 June 2013. The Tiangong 1 target module is then expected to be deorbited.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15523123|title=Chinese Shenzhou craft launches on key space mission| work= BBC News|date=October 31, 2011|access-date=December 6, 2014}}</ref>

A second space lab, [[Tiangong 2]], launched on 15 September 2016, 22:04:09 (UTC+8).<ref>{{cite news | author=Katie Hunt and Deborah Bloom| title=China launches Tiangong-2 space lab| url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/15/asia/china-launches-tiangong-2-space-lab/| work=CNN | date=15 September 2016 | access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref> The launch mass was 8,600&nbsp;kg, with a length of 10.4m and a width of 3.35m, much like the Tiangong 1.<ref name="Rui Barbosa">{{cite news | author= Rui Barbosa| title=China launches Tiangong-2 orbital module| url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/09/china-launch-tiangong-2-orbital-module/| work=NASASPACEFLIGHT.com | date=14 September 2016 | access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref> [[Shenzhou 11]] launched and rendezvoused with Tiangong 2 in October 2016, with an unconfirmed further mission Shenzhou 12 in the future. The Tiangong 2 brings with it the POLAR gamma ray burst detector, a space-Earth quantum key distribution, and laser communications experiment to be used in conjunction with the Mozi 'Quantum Science Satellite', a liquid bridge thermocapillary convection experiment, and a space material experiment. Also included is a stereoscopic microwave altimeter, a space plant growth experiment, and a multi-angle wide-spectral imager and multi-spectral limb imaging spectrometer. Onboard TG-2 there will also be the world's first-ever in-space cold atomic fountain clock.<ref name="Rui Barbosa"/>

====Space station====
{{Main|Tiangong Space Station|Tiangong program}}

A larger basic permanent space station (基本型空间站) would be the third and last phase of Project 921. This will be a modular design with an eventual weight of around 60 tons, to be completed sometime before 2022. The first section, designated [[Tiangong 3]], was scheduled for launch after Tiangong 2,<ref name=sdc20110307>
{{cite news |last1=David|first1=Leonard |title=China Details Ambitious Space Station Goals |url=http://www.space.com/11048-china-space-station-plans-details.html |access-date=2011-03-09 |newspaper=SPACE.com |date=2011-03-11 |quote=China is ready to carry out a multiphase construction program that leads to the large space station around 2020. As a prelude to building that facility, China is set to loft the Tiangong-1 module this year as a platform to help master key rendezvous and docking technologies.}}</ref> but ultimately not ordered after its goals were merged with Tiangong 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmse.gov.cn/art/2016/4/28/art_18_27619.html|title=脚踏实地，仰望星空—访中国载人航天工程总设计师周建平|publisher=Chinese Government|access-date=2017-04-22}}</ref>

This could also be the beginning of China's crewed international cooperation, the existence of which was officially disclosed for the first time after the launch of Shenzhou 7.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-09/26/content_10114727.htm|title=权威发布:神舟飞船将从神八开始批量生产|publisher=[[新华网]]|date=2008-09-26|access-date=September 26, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929025036/http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-09/26/content_10114727.htm|archive-date=September 29, 2008}}</ref>

The first module of [[Tiangong space station]], [[Tianhe (space station module)|''Tianhe'' core module]], was launched on 29 April 2021, from Wenchang Space Launch Site.<ref name="Tianhe-launch" /> It was first visited by [[Shenzhou 12]] crew on 17 June 2021. The Chinese space station is scheduled to be completed in 2022<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c863c828-e37c-11e0-8f47-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1YScsPtqK |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210211240/https://www.ft.com/content/c863c828-e37c-11e0-8f47-00144feabdc0#axzz1YScsPtqK |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |title=China takes first step towards space station |newspaper=Financial Times |date=September 20, 2011 |access-date=September 20, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> and fully operational by 2023.