The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China’s main space contractor and responsible for the Long March series rockets, plans to carry out more than 50 launches this year, including Shenzhou missions, taking crews to the Tiangong station. , and different scientific, civil and military missions. If all goes well, China could carry out more than 70 space launches in total in 2023.
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Last year, China reached the mark of 64 launches. Now, if we consider CASC’s plans added to the launches that must be carried out by commercial companies, the country can exceed last year’s total, launching missions from spaceports in different locations.
This year, it is possible to expect launches of different Long March rockets. The Long March 6C will be able to make its first flight, and the famous Long March 5 and 5B should also be launched on missions throughout 2023 – this one, for example, can be used to take the Xuntian space telescope into space, or even test the launching several satellites into low Earth orbit.
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China is also expected to expand its Earth observation and reconnaissance capabilities this year. Thus, the country should continue launching satellites from the Yaogan and Gaofen series, also taking meteorological, communication and ocean observation satellites into space.
Commercial launches and those from state-owned companies will be quite diverse. CAS Space, an “arm” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is expected to build on the maiden success of its Lijian-1 solid rocket with further launches this year, the first of which is due in May.
In parallel, Space Pioneer, China’s commercial company, may make its first launch attempt this year with a Tianlong-2 rocket, following the trend of commercial liquid launch vehicles heading for flight tests.
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