China Plans Manned Space Flight in 5 Years

B E I J I N G, Dec. 13 -- China aims to put an astronautinto space in the next five years, state media said today, setting an official timetable for the first time.

State radio and the Xinhua news agency said severalunmanned spacecraft would be launched starting next year beforethe manned flight. They gave no further details.

The reports also said China would launch more than 30satellites between 2001 and 2005.

Chinese leaders are eager for the pride and prestige thatwould come if China joined the United States and former SovietUnion as the only countries to put a person into space.

A government policy “white paper” on space last month saidonly that China would establish a manned space flight programover the next 20 years.

China Wants Commercial Market

That document also said China planned to become a leadingplayer in space exploration and commerce by building mainly onits home-grown rocket and satellite program.

A top aerospace official said last month that China wouldsoon put a person into space, perhaps “at the beginning of the21st century.”

“It will not be long before Chinese astronauts can ridelocally made spaceships into space,” said Vice President ofChina Aerospace Science Technology Corp, Hu Hongfu.

In November last year, China successfully launched anunmanned spaceship, Shenzhou.

State radio said China had so far launched 47domestically-made satellites, developed the “Long March” seriesof rockets and established three launch sites.

China, which has launched satellites for U.S. and Brazilianoperators, is vying for a bigger slice of the lucrative marketfor launching commercial satellites.

Its launch industry was given a major boost last month whenthe United States waived sanctions against China for pastmissile technology transfers to Iran and Pakistan. That moveopened the way for the United States to resume processinglicences for commercial space cooperation with Chinese firms.