Editing Chinese space program (section)

===New era (late 1970s to 1980s)===
After Mao died on September 9, 1976, his rival, [[Deng Xiaoping]], denounced during the [[Cultural Revolution]] as [[reactionary]] and therefore forced to retire from all his offices, slowly re-emerged as China's new leader in 1978. At first, the new development was slowed. Then, several key projects deemed unnecessary were simply cancelled—the [[Fanji ABM system]], the [[Xianfeng Anti-Missile Super Gun]], the ICBM Early Warning Network [[7010 Tracking Radar]] and the land-based high-power anti-missile laser program. Nevertheless, some development did proceed. The first [[Yuanwang]]-class space tracking ship was commissioned in 1979. The first full-range test of the DF-5 ICBM was conducted on May 18, 1980. The payload reached its target located 9300&nbsp;km away in the South Pacific ({{Coord|7|0|S|117|33|E|name=DF-5 ICBM test impact}}) {{Dubious|date=May 2020}} and retrieved five minutes later by helicopter.<ref>{{cite web |title="倚天长剑"飞向太平洋 |url=http://zhuanti.spacechina.com/n1449297/n1449403/c1456605/content.html |website=[[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] |access-date=7 May 2023 |language=zh |date=30 September 2016}}</ref> In 1982, [[Long March 2C]] (CZ-2C, {{Zh|s=长征二号丙|labels=no}}), an upgraded version of Long March 2 based on DF-5 with 2500&nbsp;kg [[low Earth orbit]] (LEO) payload capacity, completed its maiden flight. Long March 2C, along with many of its derived models, eventually became the backbone of Chinese space program in the following decades.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

As China changing its direction from political activities to economy development since late 1970s, the demand for [[communications satellite]]s surged. As a result, the Chinese communications satellite program, code name ''Project 331'', was started on March 31, 1975. The first generation of China's own communication satellites was named ''[[Dong Fang Hong 2]]'' (DFH-2, {{Zh|s=东方红二号|labels=no}}), whose development was led by the famous satellite expert [[Sun Jiadong]].<ref name="minshiquan">{{cite web |title=闵士权：天上一颗星，人间几十载 |url=https://tech.sina.com.cn/roll/2019-09-17/doc-iicezzrq6316194.shtml |website=新浪科技 |access-date=2022-10-16 |date=2019-09-17 |archive-date=2022-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016155158/https://tech.sina.com.cn/roll/2019-09-17/doc-iicezzrq6316194.shtml |language=zh }}</ref> Since communications satellites works in the [[geostationary orbit]] much higher than what the existing carrier rockets could reach, the launching of communications satellites became the next big challenge for the Chinese space program.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

[[File:YF-73 1.jpg|thumb|alt=YF-73, the first cryogenic engine developed of China. Its development began in late 1970s.|[[YF-73]], the first cryogenic engine of China. Its development began in late 1970s.]]
[[File:Xichang launch center 4.jpg|thumb|alt=Xichang Satellite Launch Center|[[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]]]]
The task was assigned to [[Long March 3]] (CZ-3, {{Zh|s=长征三号|labels=no}}), the most advanced Chinese launch vehicle in the 1980s. Long March 3 was a derivative of Long March 2C with an additional third stage, designed to send payloads to [[geosynchronous transfer orbit]] (GTO). When the development of Long March 3 began in the early 1970s, the engineers had to make a choice between the two options for the third stage engine: either the traditional engine fueled by the same hypergolic fuels used by the first two stages, or the advanced cryogenic engine fueled by [[liquid hydrogen]] and [[liquid oxygen]]. Although the cryogenic engine plan was much more challenging than the other one, it was eventually chosen by Chief Designer [[Ren Xinmin]] ({{Zh|s=任新民|labels=no}}), who had foreseen the great potential of its use for the Chinese space program in the coming future. The development of cryogenic engine with in-flight re-ignition capability began in 1976 and wasn't completed until 1983.<ref name=cz3>{{cite web |title=长征家族走出"美男子" |url=http://zhuanti.spacechina.com/n1449297/n1449403/c1457244/content.html |website=[[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] |access-date=2022-10-14 |date=2016-10-07 |archive-date=2022-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016074928/http://zhuanti.spacechina.com/n1449297/n1449403/c1457244/content.html |language=zh }}</ref> At the same time, Xichang Satellite Launch Center ({{Zh|s=西昌卫星发射中心|labels=no}}) was chosen as the launch site of Long March 3 due to its low latitude, which provides better GTO launch capability.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

On January 29, 1984, Long March 3 performed its maiden flight from Xichang, carrying the first experimental DFH-2 satellite. Unfortunately, because of the cryogenic third-stage engine failed to re-ignite during flight, the satellite was placed into a 400&nbsp;km LEO instead of its intended GTO. Despite the rocket failure, the engineers managed to send the satellite into an [[elliptic orbit]] with an [[apoapsis]] of 6480&nbsp;km using the satellite's own propulsion system. A series of tests were then conducted to verify the performance the satellite.<ref name="minshiquan"/> Thanks to the hard work by the engineers, the cause of the cryogenic engine failure was located quickly, followed by improvements applied on the second rocket awaiting launch.<ref name=cz3/>

On April 8, 1984, less than 70 days after the first failure, Long March 3 launched again from Xichang. It successfully inserted the second experimental DFH-2 satellite into target GTO on its second attempt. The satellite reached the final orbit location on April 16 and was handed over to the user on May 14, becoming China's first geostationary communications satellite.<ref name=skj>{{cite web |title=我国首颗通信卫星东方红二号升空记 |url=http://www.ctmuseum.cn/yj/txkp/202204/t20220418_69240.html |website=中国电信博物馆 |access-date=2022-04-18 |date=2021-04-08 |archive-date=2022-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017041016/http://www.ctmuseum.cn/yj/txkp/202204/t20220418_69240.html |language=zh }}</ref> The success made China the fifth country in the world with independent geostationary satellite development and launch capability.<ref name=cz3/> Less than two years later, on February 1, 1986, the first practical DFH-2 communications satellite was launched into orbit atop a Long March 3 rocket, ending China's reliance on foreign communications satellite.<ref name=skj/>

During the 1980s, human spaceflights in the world became significantly more active than before as the American [[Space Shuttle]] and Soviet [[Salyut programme|space stations]] were put in service respectively. It was in the same period that the previously canceled Chinese human spaceflight program was quietly revived again. In March 1986, ''[[Project 863]]'' ({{Zh|s=863计划|labels=no}}) was proposed by four scientists [[Wang Daheng]], [[Wang Ganchang]], [[Yang Jiachi]], and [[Chen Fangyun]]. The goal of the project was to stimulate the development of advanced technologies, including human spaceflight. Followed by the approval of Project 863, the early study of Chinese human spaceflight program in the new era had begun.<ref name="code863">{{cite web |title=中国载人航天史上的四组神秘代号 都是什么含义？ |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/mil/2021-06/17/c_1211204408.htm |website=Xinhua Net |access-date=2021-07-10 |date=2021-06-17 |archive-date=2021-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710164821/http://www.xinhuanet.com/mil/2021-06/17/c_1211204408.htm |url-status=live | language=zh }}</ref>