Asian space race
Encyclopedia
Several Asia
n countries have national space programs, and they are considered to be competing with each other to achieve scientific and technological advancements in space
. The media has occasionally called this competition the Asian space race. The exploration of Outer space
is of strategic concern to a growing number of countries worldwide. Earth's orbit
and Manned spaceflight are becoming the main battleground to ensure national security
. In past and recent years, a number of Asian nations have become serious contenders in the "race" to control space.
and Ukraine
separate from the Soviet Union
) countries that have successfully launched a satellite independently into orbit, three are Asian and two are Middle Eastern countries: Japan
, China
, India
, Israel
and Iran
.
Kazakhstan
does not have its own rocket technology and hosts the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility which is used by Russia
under a lease agreement of $150 million annually. Iraq
developed and tested the Tammouz space launch vehicle without a satellite on 5 December 1989. According to a press release by the Iraqi News Agency the warhead completed 6 orbits, but this was not confirmed by international observers. North Korea
has also claimed to have launched satellites Kwangmyŏngsŏng
by its own launchers twice (in 31 August 1988 and in 5 April 2009), however according to international observers, those rockets fell into the North Pacific without deploying any satellites in orbit. South Korea
plans to enter the Asian space club in 2009 and Indonesia
, Taiwan
, Pakistan
, Malaysia, Turkey
are claimed to have some kind of space program as well.
China
's first manned spacecraft entered orbit in October 2003, making China the first Asian nation and the third after Soviet Union/Russia and the United States in the world to send a human
into space independently.
India
expects to demonstrate independent human spaceflight by 2015, and both Iran
and Japan
have plans for independent manned spaceflights around the year 2020.
While the achievements of space programs run by main Asian space players China
, India
and Japan
are modest in comparison to the milestones set by the United States
and the former Soviet Union
in the first space race
, some experts believe it may only be a matter of time before Asia
leads the field. As for beginning of 21st century, China
is the leader in Asia's space race. The first Chinese manned spaceflight in 2003 marked the beginning of a space race in the region. In the same time, the issue of a space race's existence in Asia is still debated. As example, China
denies that there is an Asian Space Race.
Some examples: In January 2007 China became the first Asian military-space power to send an anti-satellite missile into orbit to destroy an aging Chinese Feng Yun 1C in polar orbit weather satellite
. As conterpart, month later, Japan's space agency (JAXA) has launched an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission in remote areas which would make Japan as high-tech space leader. After successful achievement of geostationary technology, India
has launched its first Chandrayaan-1 Moon mission. First Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon
spent 11 days aboard the International Space Station
in April 2008.
Apart from national pride, there are also commercial motivations. According to a report by the Space Frontier Foundation
released in 2006, the "space economy" is estimated to be worth about $180 billion, with more than 60 percent of space-related economic activity coming from commercial goods and services. Now China and India widely propose the commercial launch service.
's space program has been in the spotlight since 2003, when it started manned space launches, becoming the first Asian country and the third in the world to independently send a man into space. China successfully performed an EVA in September 2008. China has developed a sizable family of successful Long March rockets. It has launched two lunar orbiters, Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2
and intends to land a rover on the moon and conduct a sample return mission. In 2011, China embarked on a program to established a manned space station
starting with the launch of Tiangong 1
. China also expects to send its first Mars probe in 2011. As well as national pride there are commercial drivers such as launching of satellites for communications, weather forecast and research of Earth's atmosphere.
It also has collaborative projects with Russia
, ESA and Brazil
and has launched commercial satellites for other countries.
Some analysts suggest that the Chinese space program is linked to the nation's efforts at developing advanced military technology. In 2007, China
used an anti-satellite missile to destroy a defunct weather satellite, the Feng Yun 1-C, orbiting 528 miles (849.7 km) above Earth. The resulting explosion sent a wave of debris hurtling through space at more than 6 miles per second.
On 21 February 2008 the US Navy destroyed a disabled spy satellite USA 193
. The US denied the destruction of the satellite was a response to an anti-satellite test carried out by China
in 2007.
's interest in space travel had a modest beginning in the early 1960s, when scientists launched a small rocket above Kerala
. Now India has its own space launch vehicles, has launched several satellites, sent a probe to the moon and demonstrated re-entry technology.
Initially India
's space program was not taken as a geopolitical weapon of pride but under Vikram Sarabhai
focussed on practical uses of space in increasing standards of living. Thus the impetus was on putting remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit. This has changed in the recent past.
The main shifts took place under two administrations. The first was that of Indira Gandhi
, when India sent its first human in space, Rakesh Sharma
, through Soviet Intercosmos
Program. Then there was a long gap before the second shift, which was during the administration in India under Atal Behari Vajpayee. Just a few days after China
said that it would send a human into orbit in the second half of 2003, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee publicly urged his country's scientists to work towards sending a man to the Moon.
Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned lunar mission was launched on October 2008.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning its 2nd moon
mission, Chandrayaan-2, in 2013. India expects a manned space mission after 2016. ISRO has begun preparations for a mission to Mars.
Japan
has been cooperating with the United States on missile defence since 1999. North Korea
n nuclear and Chinese military programs represent a serious issue for Japan's foreign relations.
Japan is now working on military and civilian space technologies, developing missile defence systems, new generations of military spy satellites, and planning for manned stations on the Moon
.
Japan started to construct spy satellites after North Korea test fired a Taepodong
missile over Japan in 1998, although the North Korean government claimed the missile was merely launching a satellite to space accusing Japan
of causing an arms race. The Japanese constitution adopted after World War II
limits military activities to defensive operations. On May 2007 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
called for a bold review of the Japanese Constitution to allow the country to take a larger role in global security and foster a revival of national pride. Japan has not yet developed its own manned spacecraft and has not adopted acting program of developing of one. Some time ago project of Japan space shuttle
HOPE-X
launched by conventional space launcher H-II
was developed during several years but was postponed. Then the more simple manned capsule Fuji
was proposed but not adopted. Pioneer projects of single-stage to orbit, reusable launch vehicle horizontal takeoff and landing ASSTS and vertical takeoff and landing
Kankoh-maru
also exists but have not been adopted. More conservative new (JAXA manned spacecraft) project is expected to launch by 2025 as part of Japanese plans of manned missions to Moon. A science journalist such as Shin'ya Matsuura is doubtful about the Japanese manned moon project and expects the project is a euphemism for participation in the American Constellation program, same as the Japanese manned space program such as ISS
. On the other hand, JAXA planned to send a Humanoid robot
(such as ASIMO
) as an astronaut to the moon.
has developed its own satellite launch vehicle based on the Shahab
series of IRBMs, and named the Safir
SLV. On February 2, 2009, Iranian state television reported that Iran's first domestically made satellite Omid
(from the Persian امید, meaning "Hope") had been successfully launched into LEO by a version of Iran's Safir rocket, the Safir-2. The launch was made to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution
. Iran is presently working on various series of indigenous satellites. Iranian universities play a very active role in the development of the country's space science and industry. Rasad-1 was Iran's first imaging student nano-satellite which was launched successfully on 15 June 2011. The Iranian Space Agency
has also disclosed plans for a manned space program intending to put humans in space by 2021; furthermore study and plannings have been launched on building an Iranian space town however no specific date has been announced for the launch as yet.
became the eighth country in the world to build its own satellite and launch it with its own launcher when on September 19, 1988, Israel launched its first satellite, Ofeq
-1, using an Israeli-built Shavit
three-stage launch vehicle. Since then, local universities, research institutes and private industry, backed by the Israel Space Agency, have made progress in space technology. At the time, the launching was the high point of a process that had begun in 1983, with the establishment of the Israel Space Agency under the aegis
of the Ministry of Science. Space research by university-based scientists had already begun in the 1960s, providing a ready-made pool of experts for Israel's foray into space. The agency's role is stated to be for supporting "private and academic space projects, coordinate their efforts, initiate and develop international relations and projects, head integrative projects involving different bodies, and create public awareness for the importance of space development."
was one of the first Asian countries that began operate their own application (communication) satellite purchased abroad and now intends to join the Asian space powers by developing and starting of use of the own small space launch vehicle Pengorbitan (RPS-420)
in 2012-2014.
North Korea has long-durated experience of rocket technology and years before proliferated it to Pakistan, Iran etc. On 12 March 2009 North Korea signed the Outer Space Treaty
and the Registration Convention
, after a previous declaration of preparations for a new satellite launch
. DPRK twicely announced that launched satellites Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
at August 31, 1998 and Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
at April 5, 2009. This claims both times not confirmed in the world, but USA and South Korea estimated ones as tests of military ballistic missile. DPRK has Korean Committee of Space Technology
space agency of North Korea
, operates the Musudan-ri (Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground)
Pongdong-ri (Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center) rocket launching sites and developed Baekdusan-1
and Unha (Baekdusan-2)
space launchers and Kwangmyŏngsŏng
satellites. In 2009 DPRK announced more ambitious future space projects including own manned space flights
and development of a manned partially reusable launch vehicle even.
South Korea
is a newer player in the Asian space race.
In August 2006 South Korea launched its first military communications satellite, the Mugunghwa-5 satellite. The satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit
and is able to collect surveillance information on North Korea
.
The South Korean government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in space technology and is due to launch its first space launcher KSR
in 2008.
South Korea's space program is justified by its government in terms of long-term commercial benefits and national pride. Seoul has long seen North Korea's significantly longer missile range as a serious threat to its national security. With the nation's first astronaut launched into Space, Lee So-yeon
, South Korea gained confidence of entering Asian space race. Currently, the country is completing the construction of Naro Space Center. Once operational, South Korea will be able to build satellites and missiles with local technology.
South Korea is pursuing a space program that could defend the peninsula while lessening Seoul
's dependency on the United States
.
Other "young" space players are Malaysia and Turkey
that announced multitask space programs in 2006 and 2007. They intends to develop own satellites and launchers in nearest future and manned space facilities in far future even.
Taiwan
tries some space efforts including space launchers. Thailand
, Vietnam
and some other countries mainly engaged by satellites only.
In 2009, Bangladesh
announced its plans to launch its first satellite into orbit by 2011. At a cost of $150 million, the communications satellite is part of a wider scheme to develop the country's telecommunications sector. Bangladesh's government has stressed that the country seeks an "entirely peaceful and commercial" role in space.
There have been reports of the two rising Asian powers, China
and India
's collaboration with EU to challenge American supremacy in space. In 2003 reports emerged that China
will invest £140 million in the European Union
's Galileo global satellite system and India
will invest £210 million in the scheme. However, hopes of India and China working closely on Global Satellite Navigation System were thrashed when Government of India
approved the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System
project and signed an agreement with Russia on future development of GLONASS
. Also, NASA
's involvement in India's lunar mission and several other space-related projects indicates growing collaboration between India and the United States in the field of space exploration.
series, undergone many atmospheric reentry
tests. Other nations such as Japan and India have had fewer reentry experiences, subsequently resulting in a barrier to manned spaceflight. In the 1990s, China had also succeeded in achieving commercial launches, resulting in many launch experiences and a high success average after the 1990s. These achievements were followed on during the manned spaceflight in 2003. Recently, China also aims to undertake scientific development in fields such as solar system exploration. During the time when Japan and Europe began interplanetary explorations with the Halley Armada
project in the 1980s, China was in a state of economic depression and resultingly skipped solar system explorations at this time. Nevertheless, the first Mars orbiter from an Asian country, Yinghuo 1
, will be launched in 2011.
India has gained significant expertise in space technologies and has successfully conducted many commercial launches. The most numerous satellites in simultaneous launch, 10, was achieved in 2008. The first probe designed for lunar impact in Asia was achieved in the same year. The GSLV MK III, planned to launch in 2010, is expected to be commercially competitive due to its low-cost heavy launch vehicle. India is also aiming to position itself as the second country to successfully execute an indigenous manned spaceflight in Asia.
Japan has had many space achievements, especially within the scientific field. Japan's space program has had some strange circumstances, namely that Japanese first orbital launch was achieved by a university institute rather than a national space agency
. Therefore, most of early Japanese satellites were for scientific exploration and resulted in many scientific achievements. On the other hand, the national space agency had to catch up to the university in haste. Hence, various American space technologies, including geosynchronous launch and weather/communication satellites, were imported early on. Thereafter, a strong yen
and the Super 301 put Japanese commercial launches at a disadvantage. Japan ended up with fewer launch opportunities as a result, and a decrease in spaceflight experience leading to a deterioration of success averages after the 1990s. Most Japanese indigenous launches, excluding governmental satellites, are limited to technological experiments and scientific satellites, aimed at producing achievements on an international scale.
Other achievements
Manned spacecraft programs - 2003 - Shenzhou
- 2015 (approved) - Orbital Vehicle
- 2020 - JAXA
manned HTV
now, Fuji
was - 2021 - ISA manned spacecraft
Space shuttle
programs
- 2010/11 - AVATAR RLV (approved by ISRO) - ? - Shenlong
, Project 921-3
Orbiters to Moon - 1990 - Hiten/Hagoromo
- 2007 - Chang'e 1 - 2008 - Chandrayaan-1
Orbiters to Mars - 1998 - Nozomi - 2011- Yinghuo-1 - 2013-2015 - Mars mission
Intentional Moon landing
s
- 1993 - Hiten
(systematically crashed on end-mission) - 2008 - MIP
(Moon impactor) - 2009 - Chang'e 1 (systematically crashed on end-mission)
Lunar
Soft landing programs - 2013 - Chang'e 3 - 2013 - Chandrayaan-2
- 2013 - Selene-2
Multi-satellite simultaneous launches (by number) - 10 Satellites (PSLV-CA
C9, 2008) - 8 Satellites (H-IIA
F15, 2009) - 3 Satellites (1981)
The heaviest satellite launch vehicle in each country (in active, by capacity) - H-IIB
- LEO 19t / GTO 8t (2009 - active) - CZ-3B
- LEO 12t / GTO 5.1t (1996 - active) - GSLV
- LEO 5t / GTO 2.5t (2001 - active) - Shavit
- LEO 0.4t (1988 - active) - Safir-I - LEO 27 kg (2008 - active) - KSLV-1 - LEO 0.1t (2009 - active) - Taepodong-2
(Unha-2
) - ? (2006 - active)
Continuous satellite launch success (by number) - Long March - 75 times for 13 years (1996–2009) - N, H and Mu - 33 times for 15 years (1979–1994) - ASLV, PSLV
and GSLV
- 12 times for 12 years (1994–2005)
- Shavit
- 3 times for 8 years (1988–1995) - Safir - 2 times for 3 years (2009–2011)
? : Date not Fixed, only presumptions
{only projects with under-development or above status have been listed}
are major space technology in the public eye as well as manned spaceflight. Since Sakigake
, the first interplanetary probe in Asia, was launched in 1985, Japan has led Asian planetary explorations, but other nations are catching up now.
is thought to be rich in Helium-3
, which could one day be used in nuclear fusion power plants
to fuel future energy demands
in Asia, which is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and harbors over 60% of the world's population. All three main Asian space powers plans to send man to Moon in far future and sent lunar probes already and in nearest future.
(Japanese: "flying angel") spacecraft (known before the launch as Muses-A), built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan, was launched on January 24, 1990. The mission did not go as it was planned in many aspects. Kaguya
, is the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft and was launched on September 14, 2007.
China launched its first lunar probe named Chang'e-1 on October 24, 2007 and successfully entered lunar orbit on November 5, 2007.
India launched its first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 on October 22, 2008 and successfully entered its final lunar orbit on November 2, 2008. The mission did not go as it was planned, and signal to the satellite was loss less than midway through the mission. However, it was able to successfully complete 95% of its objectives and is hence considered a major success.
developed from 1992. Although the LUNAR-A orbiter was cancelled, its landers(penetrators) are integrated into Russian Luna-Glob
program and scheduled to launch in 2011. The penetrators are "relatively" hard landers but they will not be destroyed at moon landing as same as soft landers.
The first achieved Asian probe specialized for moon landing was Indian Moon Impact Probe (MIP) released from Chandrayaan-1 in 2008. MIP was only a hard lander destroyed at landing such as Galileo's entry probe, but its instruments performed lunar observation within 25 min until impact and the landing test will be applied to future soft landings such as Chandrayaan-2 planned in 2012.
Chinese Chang'e-1 spacecraft also achieved systematical hard landing at end of mission in 2009 and China became 6th country reached at lunar surface. One of the landing purpose was pre-test of future soft landings as same as MIP. Chinese lunar soft lander is scheduled to achieve in Chang'e-3.
has become the first man to walk on the Moon
, Asia's major powers hurry in their own space ambitions to send the first Asian
to the Moon
. China
, Japan
, and India
, which have already sent orbiters, all have plans to send a manned spacecraft to the Moon
; the earliest schedules (China, India and Japan) would have the first manned lunar spaceflight in the 2020s.
Chinese scientists expect that China will take 20 years to launch independent planetary probes. But China may reverse the disadvantage of 44 years total in comparison with Japan. The Russian Phobos Grunt mission will bring the Chinese Yinghuo-1 probe to Mars centric orbit and is planned to launch in 2011. If successful, China will become the first country in Asia and 4th country in the world to own a "Mars orbiter". Moreover, the Chinese manned Mars exploration program is planned for c. 2050 by Chinese Academy of Sciences
.
India is also planning a Mars orbiter, which will be launched in 2013 at the earliest.
On the other hand, the first student planetary probe in the world may come from Asia. The PLANET-C probe is planned to bring the UNITEC-1 student spacecraft to Venus.
- China National Space Administration (CNSA)
(Chinese space program
) - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN)
- Iranian Space Agency (ISA)
- Israeli Space Agency (ISA)
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- Malaysian National Space Agency (MNSA) - Korean Committee of Space Technology (KCST)
- Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)
- Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
- Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
- National Space Organization (NSPO) - Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n countries have national space programs, and they are considered to be competing with each other to achieve scientific and technological advancements in space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. The media has occasionally called this competition the Asian space race. The exploration of Outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
is of strategic concern to a growing number of countries worldwide. Earth's orbit
Geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit involves any object orbiting the Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2,465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center...
and Manned spaceflight are becoming the main battleground to ensure national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. In past and recent years, a number of Asian nations have become serious contenders in the "race" to control space.
Asian space powers
Of the nine (or eleven if one counts RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
separate from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) countries that have successfully launched a satellite independently into orbit, three are Asian and two are Middle Eastern countries: Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
does not have its own rocket technology and hosts the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility which is used by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
under a lease agreement of $150 million annually. Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
developed and tested the Tammouz space launch vehicle without a satellite on 5 December 1989. According to a press release by the Iraqi News Agency the warhead completed 6 orbits, but this was not confirmed by international observers. North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
has also claimed to have launched satellites Kwangmyŏngsŏng
Kwangmyŏngsŏng
The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental satellites developed by North Korea. The name Kwangmyŏngsŏng The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental satellites developed by North Korea. The name Kwangmyŏngsŏng The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental...
by its own launchers twice (in 31 August 1988 and in 5 April 2009), however according to international observers, those rockets fell into the North Pacific without deploying any satellites in orbit. South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
plans to enter the Asian space club in 2009 and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Malaysia, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
are claimed to have some kind of space program as well.
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's first manned spacecraft entered orbit in October 2003, making China the first Asian nation and the third after Soviet Union/Russia and the United States in the world to send a human
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
into space independently.
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
expects to demonstrate independent human spaceflight by 2015, and both Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
have plans for independent manned spaceflights around the year 2020.
While the achievements of space programs run by main Asian space players China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are modest in comparison to the milestones set by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the first space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
, some experts believe it may only be a matter of time before Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
leads the field. As for beginning of 21st century, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
is the leader in Asia's space race. The first Chinese manned spaceflight in 2003 marked the beginning of a space race in the region. In the same time, the issue of a space race's existence in Asia is still debated. As example, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
denies that there is an Asian Space Race.
Some examples: In January 2007 China became the first Asian military-space power to send an anti-satellite missile into orbit to destroy an aging Chinese Feng Yun 1C in polar orbit weather satellite
Weather satellite
The weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while...
. As conterpart, month later, Japan's space agency (JAXA) has launched an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission in remote areas which would make Japan as high-tech space leader. After successful achievement of geostationary technology, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
has launched its first Chandrayaan-1 Moon mission. First Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon
Yi So-yeon
Yi So-yeon is a South Korean scientist and Ph.D. graduate of KAIST . On April 8, 2008, she became the first Korean and the second Asian woman to fly in space, after Chiaki Mukai.-Biography:Yi So-yeon was born to father Yi Gil-soo...
spent 11 days aboard the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
in April 2008.
Apart from national pride, there are also commercial motivations. According to a report by the Space Frontier Foundation
Space Frontier Foundation
The Space Frontier Foundation is a space advocacy nonprofit corporation organized to promote the interests of increased involvement of the private sector, in collaboration with government, in the exploration and development of space...
released in 2006, the "space economy" is estimated to be worth about $180 billion, with more than 60 percent of space-related economic activity coming from commercial goods and services. Now China and India widely propose the commercial launch service.
China
ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's space program has been in the spotlight since 2003, when it started manned space launches, becoming the first Asian country and the third in the world to independently send a man into space. China successfully performed an EVA in September 2008. China has developed a sizable family of successful Long March rockets. It has launched two lunar orbiters, Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2
Chang'e 2
Chang'e 2 is a Chinese unmanned lunar probe that was launched on 1 October 2010. It was a follow-up to the Chang'e 1 lunar probe, which was launched in 2007. Chang'e 2 was part of the first phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, and conducted research from a 100-kilometer-high lunar orbit...
and intends to land a rover on the moon and conduct a sample return mission. In 2011, China embarked on a program to established a manned space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
starting with the launch of Tiangong 1
Tiangong 1
Tiangong-1 is a Chinese space laboratory module, and is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. Launched unmanned aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket on 29 September 2011, it is part of the Tiangong program, which aims...
. China also expects to send its first Mars probe in 2011. As well as national pride there are commercial drivers such as launching of satellites for communications, weather forecast and research of Earth's atmosphere.
It also has collaborative projects with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, ESA and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and has launched commercial satellites for other countries.
Some analysts suggest that the Chinese space program is linked to the nation's efforts at developing advanced military technology. In 2007, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
used an anti-satellite missile to destroy a defunct weather satellite, the Feng Yun 1-C, orbiting 528 miles (849.7 km) above Earth. The resulting explosion sent a wave of debris hurtling through space at more than 6 miles per second.
On 21 February 2008 the US Navy destroyed a disabled spy satellite USA 193
USA 193
USA-193, also known as NRO launch 21 , was an American military spy satellite launched on December 14, 2006. It was the first launch conducted by the United Launch Alliance...
. The US denied the destruction of the satellite was a response to an anti-satellite test carried out by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 2007.
India
IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's interest in space travel had a modest beginning in the early 1960s, when scientists launched a small rocket above Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Now India has its own space launch vehicles, has launched several satellites, sent a probe to the moon and demonstrated re-entry technology.
Initially India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's space program was not taken as a geopolitical weapon of pride but under Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was an Indian physicist. He is considered to be the father of the Indian space program; legendary Homi Bhabha’s successor as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission; and was as at home in the world of the arts as in his favourite laboratory. His interests were vast and...
focussed on practical uses of space in increasing standards of living. Thus the impetus was on putting remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit. This has changed in the recent past.
The main shifts took place under two administrations. The first was that of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, when India sent its first human in space, Rakesh Sharma
Rakesh Sharma
Wing commander Rakesh Sharma, AC, is a former Indian Air Force test pilot, and Cosmonaut aboard Soyuz T-11 as part of an Intercosmos Research Team...
, through Soviet Intercosmos
Intercosmos
Interkosmos was a space program of the Soviet Union designed to include members of military forces of allied Warsaw Pact countries in manned and unmanned missions...
Program. Then there was a long gap before the second shift, which was during the administration in India under Atal Behari Vajpayee. Just a few days after China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
said that it would send a human into orbit in the second half of 2003, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee publicly urged his country's scientists to work towards sending a man to the Moon.
Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned lunar mission was launched on October 2008.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning its 2nd moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
mission, Chandrayaan-2, in 2013. India expects a manned space mission after 2016. ISRO has begun preparations for a mission to Mars.
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
has been cooperating with the United States on missile defence since 1999. North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n nuclear and Chinese military programs represent a serious issue for Japan's foreign relations.
Japan is now working on military and civilian space technologies, developing missile defence systems, new generations of military spy satellites, and planning for manned stations on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
Japan started to construct spy satellites after North Korea test fired a Taepodong
Taepodong
The name Taepodong can refer to various topics related to North Korea:* Musudan-ri, a rocket launching facility located in an area once known as Taepo-dong when Korean was occupied by Japan...
missile over Japan in 1998, although the North Korean government claimed the missile was merely launching a satellite to space accusing Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
of causing an arms race. The Japanese constitution adopted after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
limits military activities to defensive operations. On May 2007 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe
was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007...
called for a bold review of the Japanese Constitution to allow the country to take a larger role in global security and foster a revival of national pride. Japan has not yet developed its own manned spacecraft and has not adopted acting program of developing of one. Some time ago project of Japan space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
HOPE-X
HOPE-X
HOPE was a Japanese experimental spaceplane project designed by a partnership between NASDA and NAL , started in the 1980s. It was positioned for most of its lifetime as one of the main Japanese contributions to the International Space Station, the other being the Japanese Experiment Module...
launched by conventional space launcher H-II
H-II
The H-II rocket was a Japanese satellite launch system, which flew seven times between 1994 and 1999, with five successes. It was developed by NASDA in order to give Japan a capability to launch larger satellites in the 1990s. It was the first two-stage liquid-fuelled rocket Japan made using only...
was developed during several years but was postponed. Then the more simple manned capsule Fuji
Fuji (Spacecraft)
Fuji was a manned spacecraft of the space capsule kind, proposed by Japan's National Space Development Agency Advanced mission Research center in December 2001...
was proposed but not adopted. Pioneer projects of single-stage to orbit, reusable launch vehicle horizontal takeoff and landing ASSTS and vertical takeoff and landing
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
Kankoh-maru
Kankoh-maru
The is the name of a proposed vertical takeoff and landing, single-stage to orbit, reusable launch vehicle family of rockets, and the spacecraft tour vehicle designed to be boosted by said rocket.-Details:...
also exists but have not been adopted. More conservative new (JAXA manned spacecraft) project is expected to launch by 2025 as part of Japanese plans of manned missions to Moon. A science journalist such as Shin'ya Matsuura is doubtful about the Japanese manned moon project and expects the project is a euphemism for participation in the American Constellation program, same as the Japanese manned space program such as ISS
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. On the other hand, JAXA planned to send a Humanoid robot
Humanoid robot
A humanoid robot or an anthropomorphic robot is a robot with its overall appearance, based on that of the human body, allowing interaction with made-for-human tools or environments. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots...
(such as ASIMO
ASIMO
is a humanoid robot created by Honda. Introduced in 2000, ASIMO, which is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility", was created to be a helper to people. With aspirations of helping people who lack full mobility, ASIMO is used to encourage young people to study science and mathematics...
) as an astronaut to the moon.
Iran
IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
has developed its own satellite launch vehicle based on the Shahab
Shahab
Shahab may refer to:* a male given name in Arabic and also Persian, meaning meteor or shooting star, or a bright star that illuminates the heavens* Shahab F.C., Iranian football club in Semnan...
series of IRBMs, and named the Safir
Safir
Sir Safir is a Knight of the Round Table and the youngest son of the Saracen king Esclabor in the Arthurian legend. Both his brothers, Segwarides and Palamedes, also belong to the Round Table. He is a courageous and loyal knight and was, in his time, a fairly popular character, showing up in the...
SLV. On February 2, 2009, Iranian state television reported that Iran's first domestically made satellite Omid
Omid
Omid is a common Persian male given name, meaning hope...
(from the Persian امید, meaning "Hope") had been successfully launched into LEO by a version of Iran's Safir rocket, the Safir-2. The launch was made to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
. Iran is presently working on various series of indigenous satellites. Iranian universities play a very active role in the development of the country's space science and industry. Rasad-1 was Iran's first imaging student nano-satellite which was launched successfully on 15 June 2011. The Iranian Space Agency
Iranian Space Agency
The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009...
has also disclosed plans for a manned space program intending to put humans in space by 2021; furthermore study and plannings have been launched on building an Iranian space town however no specific date has been announced for the launch as yet.
Israel
IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
became the eighth country in the world to build its own satellite and launch it with its own launcher when on September 19, 1988, Israel launched its first satellite, Ofeq
Ofeq
Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek is the designation of a series of Israeli reconnaissance satellites first launched in 1988. All Ofeq satellites have been carried on top of Shavit rockets from Palmachim Airbase in Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. The Low Earth Orbit satellites complete one...
-1, using an Israeli-built Shavit
Shavit
Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United...
three-stage launch vehicle. Since then, local universities, research institutes and private industry, backed by the Israel Space Agency, have made progress in space technology. At the time, the launching was the high point of a process that had begun in 1983, with the establishment of the Israel Space Agency under the aegis
Aegis
An aegis is a large collar or cape worn in ancient times to display the protection provided by a high religious authority or the holder of a protective shield signifying the same, such as a bag-like garment that contained a shield. Sometimes the garment and the shield are merged, with a small...
of the Ministry of Science. Space research by university-based scientists had already begun in the 1960s, providing a ready-made pool of experts for Israel's foray into space. The agency's role is stated to be for supporting "private and academic space projects, coordinate their efforts, initiate and develop international relations and projects, head integrative projects involving different bodies, and create public awareness for the importance of space development."
Pakistan
Pakistan started its national space program by establishing Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission(SUPARCO)50 year ago in 16 September 1961.On 7 June 1961, under the leadership of Air Force's Air Commodore (Brigadier-General) Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, a two-stage rocket, Rehbar-I, was launched from the Sonmiani Flight Test Center. Pakistan was the third country in Asia and the tenth in the world to conduct such a launching. SUPARCO currently has many satellite in orbit and is planing to conduct more such types of launch, recently SUPARCO has launched PAKSAT-IR a multifunctioning satellite in space, Suparco has set up, The SUPARCO Satellite Ground Station is an earth observation and remote sensing satellite control center. The SUPARCO's SGS center is a major space research centre of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), focusing on the earth observational and remote sensing technology.Other nations
IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
was one of the first Asian countries that began operate their own application (communication) satellite purchased abroad and now intends to join the Asian space powers by developing and starting of use of the own small space launch vehicle Pengorbitan (RPS-420)
RPS-420
Satellite Orbiting Rocket Number 420 is Indonesia's proposed satellite launching rocket that if successful, will carry Indonesia's first indigenous satellite into Low Earth Orbit in 2014....
in 2012-2014.
North Korea has long-durated experience of rocket technology and years before proliferated it to Pakistan, Iran etc. On 12 March 2009 North Korea signed the Outer Space Treaty
Outer Space Treaty
The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law...
and the Registration Convention
Registration Convention
The Convention on Registration of Launched Objects into Outer Space was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1974 and went into force in 1976....
, after a previous declaration of preparations for a new satellite launch
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
In this regard, a delegation of fifteen strong Iranian rocket scientists, including senior officials with Iranian rocket and satellite producer Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, has been in the DPRK since the beginning of March, to help prepare for the launch...
. DPRK twicely announced that launched satellites Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 was a satellite allegedly launched by North Korea on 31 August 1998. While the North Korean government claimed that the launch was successful making North Korea the ninth country to launch a satellite, no objects were ever tracked in orbit from the launch, and outside North Korea...
at August 31, 1998 and Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
In this regard, a delegation of fifteen strong Iranian rocket scientists, including senior officials with Iranian rocket and satellite producer Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, has been in the DPRK since the beginning of March, to help prepare for the launch...
at April 5, 2009. This claims both times not confirmed in the world, but USA and South Korea estimated ones as tests of military ballistic missile. DPRK has Korean Committee of Space Technology
Korean Committee of Space Technology
The Korean Committee of Space Technology is the state-controlled space agency of North Korea. Very little information on it is publicly available. It is known to be founded sometime in the 1980s, and most likely is connected to the Artillery Guidance Bureau of the Korean People's Army...
space agency of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, operates the Musudan-ri (Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground)
Musudan-ri
The Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground, also known as Musudan-ri, is a rocket launching site in North Korea. It lies in southern North Hamgyong province, near the northern tip of the East Korea Bay...
Pongdong-ri (Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center) rocket launching sites and developed Baekdusan-1
Paektusan (rocket)
The Paektusan, also transliterated Baekdusan or Pekdosan is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, derived from the Taepodong-1 intermediate-range ballistic missile...
and Unha (Baekdusan-2)
Unha
The Unha or Eunha is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which experts say utilises the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile...
space launchers and Kwangmyŏngsŏng
Kwangmyŏngsŏng
The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental satellites developed by North Korea. The name Kwangmyŏngsŏng The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental satellites developed by North Korea. The name Kwangmyŏngsŏng The Kwangmyŏngsŏng programme is a class of experimental...
satellites. In 2009 DPRK announced more ambitious future space projects including own manned space flights
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
and development of a manned partially reusable launch vehicle even.
South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
is a newer player in the Asian space race.
In August 2006 South Korea launched its first military communications satellite, the Mugunghwa-5 satellite. The satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
and is able to collect surveillance information on North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
.
The South Korean government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in space technology and is due to launch its first space launcher KSR
Korea Space Launch Vehicle
The Naro-1, previously designated Korea Space Launch Vehicle or KSLV, is South Korea's first carrier rocket, which made its maiden flight on 25 August 2009. It is built by KARI, the national space agency of South Korea, and Korean Air, with the first stage provided by Khrunichev...
in 2008.
South Korea's space program is justified by its government in terms of long-term commercial benefits and national pride. Seoul has long seen North Korea's significantly longer missile range as a serious threat to its national security. With the nation's first astronaut launched into Space, Lee So-yeon
Lee So-yeon
Lee So-yeon, also romanized as Yi So-yeon, may refer to:* Lee So-yeon , South Korean actress* Lee So-yeon , South Korean judoka* Yi So-yeon , South Korean astronaut...
, South Korea gained confidence of entering Asian space race. Currently, the country is completing the construction of Naro Space Center. Once operational, South Korea will be able to build satellites and missiles with local technology.
South Korea is pursuing a space program that could defend the peninsula while lessening Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
's dependency on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Other "young" space players are Malaysia and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
that announced multitask space programs in 2006 and 2007. They intends to develop own satellites and launchers in nearest future and manned space facilities in far future even.
Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
tries some space efforts including space launchers. Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and some other countries mainly engaged by satellites only.
In 2009, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
announced its plans to launch its first satellite into orbit by 2011. At a cost of $150 million, the communications satellite is part of a wider scheme to develop the country's telecommunications sector. Bangladesh's government has stressed that the country seeks an "entirely peaceful and commercial" role in space.
There have been reports of the two rising Asian powers, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's collaboration with EU to challenge American supremacy in space. In 2003 reports emerged that China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
will invest £140 million in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's Galileo global satellite system and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
will invest £210 million in the scheme. However, hopes of India and China working closely on Global Satellite Navigation System were thrashed when Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
approved the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System
Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System
The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation which would be under total control of Indian government...
project and signed an agreement with Russia on future development of GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
. Also, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's involvement in India's lunar mission and several other space-related projects indicates growing collaboration between India and the United States in the field of space exploration.
Major Asian achievements
The manned spaceflight performed by China was a high-profile Asian space achievement. The advanced technology was the result of integration of various related technological experiences, and the space achievements of China are practical. Early Chinese satellites, such as the FSWFanhui Shi Weixing
Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights. The first flight was FSW-0 on 1969-06-01 and the last SJ-8 on 2006-09-09....
series, undergone many atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
tests. Other nations such as Japan and India have had fewer reentry experiences, subsequently resulting in a barrier to manned spaceflight. In the 1990s, China had also succeeded in achieving commercial launches, resulting in many launch experiences and a high success average after the 1990s. These achievements were followed on during the manned spaceflight in 2003. Recently, China also aims to undertake scientific development in fields such as solar system exploration. During the time when Japan and Europe began interplanetary explorations with the Halley Armada
Halley Armada
The Halley Armada is the generally accepted and popularly used name of five space probes sent to examine Halley's Comet during its 1986 sojourn through the inner solar system, connected with apparition "1P/1982 U1"...
project in the 1980s, China was in a state of economic depression and resultingly skipped solar system explorations at this time. Nevertheless, the first Mars orbiter from an Asian country, Yinghuo 1
Yinghuo 1
Yinghuo-1 was a Chinese Mars-exploration space probe, intended to be the first Chinese spacecraft to explore Mars. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on 8 November 2011, along with the Russian Fobos-Grunt sample return spacecraft, which was intended to visit Mars' moon Phobos...
, will be launched in 2011.
India has gained significant expertise in space technologies and has successfully conducted many commercial launches. The most numerous satellites in simultaneous launch, 10, was achieved in 2008. The first probe designed for lunar impact in Asia was achieved in the same year. The GSLV MK III, planned to launch in 2010, is expected to be commercially competitive due to its low-cost heavy launch vehicle. India is also aiming to position itself as the second country to successfully execute an indigenous manned spaceflight in Asia.
Japan has had many space achievements, especially within the scientific field. Japan's space program has had some strange circumstances, namely that Japanese first orbital launch was achieved by a university institute rather than a national space agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
. Therefore, most of early Japanese satellites were for scientific exploration and resulted in many scientific achievements. On the other hand, the national space agency had to catch up to the university in haste. Hence, various American space technologies, including geosynchronous launch and weather/communication satellites, were imported early on. Thereafter, a strong yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
and the Super 301 put Japanese commercial launches at a disadvantage. Japan ended up with fewer launch opportunities as a result, and a decrease in spaceflight experience leading to a deterioration of success averages after the 1990s. Most Japanese indigenous launches, excluding governmental satellites, are limited to technological experiments and scientific satellites, aimed at producing achievements on an international scale.
Timeline of the national firsts in Asia
| – Indigenous manned missions | – Manned missions | – Lunar or Interplanetary missions | – Other missions |
| Date | Nation | Name | The firsts in Asia | World achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 1957 |  Kazakh SSR |
Baikonur Cosmodrome Baikonur Cosmodrome The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level... |
Satellite Satellite In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.... launch pad Launch pad A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch.... (under USSR) |
The first satellite, Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space... , was launched. |
| 11 Feb 1970 | Osumi Osumi (satellite) Ōsumi is the name of the first Japanese artificial satellite put into orbit, named after the Ōsumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. It was launched on February 11, 1970 at 04:25 UTC with a Lambda 4S-5 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center by Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science,... |
Satellite Satellite In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.... |
The smallest satellite launch vehicle (L-4S Lambda (rocket) Lambda is the name of a series of Japanese rockets. It consisted of the types Lambda 2, LS-A, LSC-3, Lambda 3, Lambda 4 and LS-C.On February 11, 1970 the first Japanese satellite Ōsumi was launched using a Lambda 4 rocket.... ; 9.4t weight, 1.4m diameter) |
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| 24 Feb 1975 | Taiyo | Solar probe | ||
| 26 Oct 1975 | FSW Fanhui Shi Weixing Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights. The first flight was FSW-0 on 1969-06-01 and the last SJ-8 on 2006-09-09.... -0 |
Satellite recovery Atmospheric reentry Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,... |
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| 26 Oct 1975 | FSW Fanhui Shi Weixing Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights. The first flight was FSW-0 on 1969-06-01 and the last SJ-8 on 2006-09-09.... -0: - 10m (1975) FSW-1B Fanhui Shi Weixing Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights. The first flight was FSW-0 on 1969-06-01 and the last SJ-8 on 2006-09-09.... : - 4m (1992) Beidou Beidou navigation system The BeiDou Navigation System or BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a project by China to develop an independent satellite navigation system... : - 0.5m (till 2007) |
High resolution imaging satellite Satellite imagery Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds... |
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| 8 Jul 1976 | Palapa A1 Palapa Palapa is a series of communication satellites owned by Indosat, an Indonesian telecommunication company.The name Palapa also alludes to "Sumpah Palapa" the oath taken by Gajah Mada, a 14th century Prime Minister of the Javanese Majapahit Empire described in the Pararaton... |
Geosynchronous satellite Geosynchronous satellite A geosynchronous Satellite is a satellite whose orbit on the Earth repeats regularly over points on the Earth over time. If such a satellite's orbit lies over the equator, the orbit is circular and its angular velocity is the same as the earth's, then it is called a geostationary satellite... (launched by NASA) |
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| 23 Feb 1977 | N-I N-I (rocket) The N-I or N-1 was a derivative of the American Delta rocket, produced under licence in Japan. It used a Thor-ELT first stage, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-designed LE-3 engine was used as a second stage, and three Castor SRMs. Seven were launched between 1975 and 1982, before it was replaced by... |
Geosynchronous launch | ||
| 21 Feb 1979 | Hakucho Hakucho Hakucho was Japan's first X-ray astronomy satellite, developed by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science... |
Space observatory Space observatory A space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects... |
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| 23 Jul 1980 | Phạm Tuân | Asian in space (Soyuz 37 Soyuz 37 -Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 51.61°*Period: 89.12 minutes-Mission highlights:... ) |
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| 20 Sep 1981 | FB-1 Feng Bao 1 The Feng Bao 1 , also known as FB-1, was a Chinese carrier rocket launched between 1972 and 1981. It was replaced by the nearly identical Long March 2, which had been developed at the same time for political reasons related to China's Cultural Revolution.The Feng Bao was derived from the DF-5... |
Simultaneous satellite launch | ||
| 8 Jan 1985 | Sakigake Sakigake Sakigake , pre-launch codename MS-T5, was Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft, and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the USA or the Soviet Union... |
Leaving Earth orbit | The first interplanetary launch by solid rocket Comparison of solid fuel lift launch systems This page contains the lift launch systems constructed by some solid fuel stages except final stage.- All stages solid fueled :- Partial liquid fueled :... (M-3SII) |
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| 1985-6-17 | Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | First Asian on Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... mission (STS-51-G STS-51-G STS-51-G was the eighteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fifth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 17 June 1985... ) |
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| 19 Mar 1990 | Hagoromo Hiten The Hiten Spacecraft , given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A , part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990... |
Reach lunar orbit Lunar orbit In astronomy, lunar orbit refers to the orbit of an object around the Moon.As used in the space program, this refers not to the orbit of the Moon about the Earth, but to orbits by various manned or unmanned spacecraft around the Moon... (assumed) |
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| 7 Apr 1990 | CZ-3 Long March 3 The Long March 3 , also known as the Chang Zheng 3, CZ-3 and LM-3, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 3-stage rocket, and was mostly used to place DFH-2-class communications satellites into geosynchronous... |
Commercial launch (AsiaSat 1 AsiaSat Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. is a commercial operator of communication spacecraft. AsiaSat is based in Hong Kong with two major shareholders, CITIC and General Electric.-Satellites:... ) |
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| 10 Apr 1993 | Hiten Hiten The Hiten Spacecraft , given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A , part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990... |
Intentional lunar impact | The first aerobraking Aerobraking Aerobraking is a spaceflight maneuver that reduces the high point of an elliptical orbit by flying the vehicle through the atmosphere at the low point of the orbit . The resulting drag slows the spacecraft... test |
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| 8 Jul 1994 | Chiaki Mukai Chiaki Mukai is a Japanese doctor, and JAXA astronaut. She was the first Japanese woman in space, and was the first Japanese citizen to have two spaceflights. Both were Space Shuttle missions; her first was STS-65 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1994, which was a Spacelab mission. Her second spaceflight... |
Asian woman in space (STS-65 STS-65 STS-65 is a Space Shuttle program mission of Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 8 July 1994. The flight was commanded by Robert D... ) |
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| 1997-11-19 | Takao Doi Takao Doi is a Japanese astronaut and a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions.Doi holds a doctorate from the University of Tokyo in aerospace engineering, and has studied and published in the fields of propulsion systems, and microgravity technology... |
Spacework Extra-vehicular activity Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon... (STS-87 STS-87 STS-87 was a Space Shuttle mission launched from KSC pad 39-B on 19 November 1997. It was the 88th flight of the Space Shuttle, and the 24th flight of Columbia... ) |
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| 28 Nov 1997 | ETS-VII ETS-VII The ETS-VII, or Engineering Test Satellite No. 7, was a satellite developed and launched by the National Space Development Agency of Japan . It is also known as KIKU-7. It was launched aboard an H-II rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, on 28 November 1997... |
Rendezvous docking Space rendezvous A space rendezvous is an orbital maneuver during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance . Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant... |
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| 3 Jul 1998 | Nozomi | Martian mission Exploration of Mars The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s... |
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| 30 Oct 2000 | Beidou Beidou navigation system The BeiDou Navigation System or BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a project by China to develop an independent satellite navigation system... |
Satellite navigation system | ||
| 10 Sep 2002 | Kodama | Data relay satellite TDRS A Tracking and Data Relay Satellite is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and from independent "User Platforms" such as satellites, balloons, aircraft,... (with ESA European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... ) |
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| 15 Oct 2003 | Yang Liwei Yang Liwei Yáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:... |
Asian indigenously in space | ||
| Shenzhou Shenzhou spacecraft Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft," "Divine Vessel of God," "Magic Boat" or similar and is also homophonous with an ancient name for China... |
Manned spacecraft Human spaceflight Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites.... |
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| 19 Nov 2005 | Hayabusa Hayabusa was an unmanned spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis.... |
Soft-landed probe on extraterrestrial object | The first asteroid ascent | |
| 11 Jan 2007 | FY-1C | ASAT test 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test The 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test was conducted by China on January 11, 2007. A Chinese weather satellite—the FY-1C polar orbit satellite of the Fengyun series, at an altitude of , with a mass of 750 kg—was destroyed by a kinetic kill vehicle traveling with a speed of 8 km/s in... |
highest in history with altitude 865 km, also the fastest with speed 18k miles/h | |
| 23 Feb 2008 | WINDS WINDS WINDS , is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February... |
Internet satellite Satellite Internet access Satellite Internet access is Internet access provided through satellites. The service can be provided to users world-wide through low Earth orbit satellites. Geostationary satellites can offer higher data speeds, but their signals can not reach some polar regions of the world... |
The fastest internet satellite | |
| 11 Mar 2008 | Japanese Experiment Module Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... |
Manned foundations in space (STS-123 STS-123 -Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: 336 kilometers * Apogee: 346 kilometers * Inclination: 51.6 degrees* Period: 91.6min-Mission payloads:... , STS-124 STS-124 STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15... , STS-127 STS-127 STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the... ) |
The world’s largest pressurized volume in space | |
| 25 Apr 2008 | Tianlian I Tianlian I Tianlian I , also known as Tian Lian 1, TL-1, and CTDRS-1 is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite series. Based on the DFH-3 satellite bus, it will provide communication coverage for manned Shenzhou missions, from Shenzhou 7 onwards... |
Indigenous Tracking & Data Relay Satellite System Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System is a network of American communications satellites and ground stations used by NASA for space communications. The system was designed to replace an existing network of ground stations that had supported all of NASA's manned flight missions... First TDRS system to support manned missions |
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| 27 Sep 2008 | Zhai Zhigang Zhai Zhigang Zhai Zhigang is an officer in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.-Early career:... |
Indigenous EVA Extra-vehicular activity Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon... |
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| BanXing BanXing Banxing or BX-1 , is a small Chinese technology development satellite which was deployed from the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft at 11:27 GMT on 27 September 2008. Prior to deployment, the satellite was mounted on top of the Shenzhou 7 orbital module.-Purpose:... |
Manned spacecraft-launched satellite | |||
| 14 Nov 2008 | Moon Impact Probe Moon Impact Probe The Moon Impact Probe developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation , India's national space agency, was a lunar probe that was released by ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter which in turn was launched, on 22 October 2008, aboard a modified version of ISRO's Polar Satellite... |
Probe designed for Lunar impact Moon landing A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned... |
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| 23 Jan 2009 | GOSAT | Greenhouse gas Greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone... explorer |
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| 29 Sept 2011 | Tiangong-1 | Space station Space station A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing... |
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Other achievements
- Most numerical multiple-satellite payload transfer capability - (PSLV, 10 satellites in one launch)
- First Asian country to collaborate International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
- - Largest budget for space research -
- Most spaceports - (5, see spaceportSpaceportA spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
or rocket launch site)
| First success | LEO Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... | GTO Geostationary transfer orbit A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit is a Hohmann transfer orbit used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit.... / GEO Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers... | Notes |
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| 11 Feb 1970 |  Japan L-4S (26 kg) |
First launch was 1966 (failed 4 times). | |
| 24 Apr 1970 |  People's Republic of China CZ-1Long March 1 Long March 1 is 1st member of China's Long March 1 .The study of Long March 1 began in 1965. Long March 1's first flight put China's first satellite Dong Fang Hong 1 to space on April 24, 1970.* Stages: 3... (0.3 t) |
First launch failed in 1969. | |
| 26 July 1975 | People's Republic of China FB-1 Feng Bao 1 The Feng Bao 1 , also known as FB-1, was a Chinese carrier rocket launched between 1972 and 1981. It was replaced by the nearly identical Long March 2, which had been developed at the same time for political reasons related to China's Cultural Revolution.The Feng Bao was derived from the DF-5... (2.5 t) |
Suborbital flight was performed in 1972. People's Republic of ChinaCZ-2A Long March 2A The Long March 2A, also known as the Chang Zheng 2A, CZ-2A and LM-2A, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Area 2B at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 2-stage rocket, and flew just once, on 5 November 1974... (LEO 2t) failed in 1974. |
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| 9 Sep 1975 | Japan N-I N-I (rocket) The N-I or N-1 was a derivative of the American Delta rocket, produced under licence in Japan. It used a Thor-ELT first stage, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-designed LE-3 engine was used as a second stage, and three Castor SRMs. Seven were launched between 1975 and 1982, before it was replaced by... (GEO 0.13 t) |
LEO 1.2t First GTO launch was Feb 23 1977. |
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| 11 Feb 1981 | Japan N-II N-II (rocket) The N-II or N-2 was a derivative of the American Delta rocket, produced under licence in Japan. It used a Thor-ELT first stage, a Delta-F second stage, nine Castor SRMs, and on most flights either a Star-37E or Burner-2 upper stage, identical to the US Delta 0100 series configurations... (GTO 0.54 t) |
LEO 2 t First GTO launch was Aug 10. |
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| 8 Apr 1984 | People's Republic of China CZ-3 Long March 3 The Long March 3 , also known as the Chang Zheng 3, CZ-3 and LM-3, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 3-stage rocket, and was mostly used to place DFH-2-class communications satellites into geosynchronous... (LEO 5 t / GTO 1.5 t) |
virtually GTO use First launch failed at Jan 29. |
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| 16 Jul 1990 | People's Republic of China CZ-2E Long March 2E The Long March 2E, also known as the Chang Zheng 2E, CZ-2E and LM-2E, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Designed to launch commercial communications satellites, the Long March 2E was retired in favour of the Long March 3B, after two launch failures. Launched from complex 2 at the Xichang... (LEO 9.2 t / GTO 3.5 t) |
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| 4 Feb 1994 | Japan H-II H-II The H-II rocket was a Japanese satellite launch system, which flew seven times between 1994 and 1999, with five successes. It was developed by NASDA in order to give Japan a capability to launch larger satellites in the 1990s. It was the first two-stage liquid-fuelled rocket Japan made using only... (LEO 10 t / GTO 3.9 t) |
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| 20 Aug 1997 | People's Republic of China CZ-3B Long March 3B The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre... (LEO 12 t / GTO 5.2 t) |
virtually GTO use First launch failed in 1996. |
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| 18 Dec 2006 | Japan H-IIA H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 204 (LEO 15 t / GTO 5.8 t) |
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| 10 Sep 2009 | Japan H-IIB H-IIB H-IIB is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan... (LEO 19 t / GTO 8 t) |
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| planned 2015 | People's Republic of China CZ-5 (LEO 25 t / GTO 14 t) |
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Comparison of key technologies
First achieved attempts (or future plans) of each country are listed by chronological order unless otherwise noted.Manned spacecraft programs - 2003 - Shenzhou
Shenzhou spacecraft
Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft," "Divine Vessel of God," "Magic Boat" or similar and is also homophonous with an ancient name for China...
- 2015 (approved) - Orbital Vehicle
ISRO Orbital Vehicle
The Indian manned spacecraft temporarily named Orbital Vehicle is intended to be the basis of the indigenous Indian human spaceflight program. The capsule will be designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.In its maiden...
- 2020 - JAXA
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
manned HTV
H-II Transfer Vehicle
The H-II Transfer Vehicle , called , is an unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and the International Space Station . The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been working on the design since the early 1990s. The first mission, HTV-1, was originally...
now, Fuji
Fuji (Spacecraft)
Fuji was a manned spacecraft of the space capsule kind, proposed by Japan's National Space Development Agency Advanced mission Research center in December 2001...
was - 2021 - ISA manned spacecraft
Iranian Space Agency
The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009...
Space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
programs
- Including shuttle-shaped hypersonic reentry vehicles reach to space. - 1996 - HYFLEXHyflexHyflex was a NASDA reentry demonstrator prototype which was launched in 1996 on the only flight of the J-I launcher...
under HOPE-XHOPE-XHOPE was a Japanese experimental spaceplane project designed by a partnership between NASDA and NAL , started in the 1980s. It was positioned for most of its lifetime as one of the main Japanese contributions to the International Space Station, the other being the Japanese Experiment Module...
program
- 2010/11 - AVATAR RLV (approved by ISRO) - ? - Shenlong
Shenlong (Chinese Space Shuttle)
Shenlong is the purported Chinese counterpart to the American Space Shuttle Orbiter and the Russian Buran space transport vehicle. Only a few pictures have appeared since it was revealed in late 2007 but it appears to be causing some consternation to experts in the western world....
, Project 921-3
Project 921-3
Project 921-3 is Manned Spacecraft sub-system of Project 921. The term 921-3 is often used for the Chinese space shuttle program.- History :The Chinese National Manned Space Program was given the designation of Project 921 in 1992...
Orbiters to Moon - 1990 - Hiten/Hagoromo
Hiten
The Hiten Spacecraft , given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A , part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990...
- 2007 - Chang'e 1 - 2008 - Chandrayaan-1
Orbiters to Mars - 1998 - Nozomi - 2011- Yinghuo-1 - 2013-2015 - Mars mission
Intentional Moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
s
- 1993 - Hiten
Hiten
The Hiten Spacecraft , given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A , part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990...
(systematically crashed on end-mission) - 2008 - MIP
Moon Impact Probe
The Moon Impact Probe developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation , India's national space agency, was a lunar probe that was released by ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter which in turn was launched, on 22 October 2008, aboard a modified version of ISRO's Polar Satellite...
(Moon impactor) - 2009 - Chang'e 1 (systematically crashed on end-mission)
Lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
Soft landing programs - 2013 - Chang'e 3 - 2013 - Chandrayaan-2
Chandrayaan-2
Chandrayaan-2 , is a joint lunar exploration mission proposed by the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Russian Federal Space Agency and has a projected cost of...
- 2013 - Selene-2
Selene-2
SELENE-2 , or the Selenological and Engineering Explorer 2, is a proposed Japanese moon lander to be launched sometime before the middle of the decade as a successor to the 2007 Kaguya moon orbiter.- Penetrators :...
Multi-satellite simultaneous launches (by number) - 10 Satellites (PSLV-CA
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that...
C9, 2008) - 8 Satellites (H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
F15, 2009) - 3 Satellites (1981)
The heaviest satellite launch vehicle in each country (in active, by capacity) - H-IIB
H-IIB
H-IIB is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan...
- LEO 19t / GTO 8t (2009 - active) - CZ-3B
Long March 3B
The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre...
- LEO 12t / GTO 5.1t (1996 - active) - GSLV
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
- LEO 5t / GTO 2.5t (2001 - active) - Shavit
Shavit
Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United...
- LEO 0.4t (1988 - active) - Safir-I - LEO 27 kg (2008 - active) - KSLV-1 - LEO 0.1t (2009 - active) - Taepodong-2
Taepodong-2
The Taepodong-2 is a designation used to indicate a North Korean two or three-stage ballistic missile design that is the successor to the Taepodong-1.-Details:...
(Unha-2
Unha
The Unha or Eunha is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which experts say utilises the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile...
) - ? (2006 - active)
Continuous satellite launch success (by number) - Long March - 75 times for 13 years (1996–2009) - N, H and Mu - 33 times for 15 years (1979–1994) - ASLV, PSLV
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that...
and GSLV
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
- 12 times for 12 years (1994–2005)
- Shavit
Shavit
Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United...
- 3 times for 8 years (1988–1995) - Safir - 2 times for 3 years (2009–2011)
| Nation | Multi-satellite simultaneous launches | Launch of foreign satellite | Geostationar launches | Atmos- pheric reentry Atmospheric reentry Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,... | Rendezvous dockings Space rendezvous A space rendezvous is an orbital maneuver during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance . Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant... in orbit | Satellite navigation system Global Navigation Satellite System A satellite navigation or SAT NAV system is a system of satellites that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage. It allows small electronic receivers to determine their location to within a few metres using time signals transmitted along a line-of-sight by radio from... | Data relay satellites TDRS A Tracking and Data Relay Satellite is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and from independent "User Platforms" such as satellites, balloons, aircraft,... | Martian missions Exploration of Mars The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s... | Solar research missions | Space observatories Space observatory A space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 (FB-1 Feng Bao 1 The Feng Bao 1 , also known as FB-1, was a Chinese carrier rocket launched between 1972 and 1981. It was replaced by the nearly identical Long March 2, which had been developed at the same time for political reasons related to China's Cultural Revolution.The Feng Bao was derived from the DF-5... ) 3 Sats |
1990 CZ-2E  Pakistan science satellite |
1984 Dong Fang Hong 02 Dong Fang Hong 02 Dong Fang Hong 02 was a primary television satellite used by China during the later part of the 20th century. It was developed at the Chinese Academy of Space Technology and had a design life 4.5 years. The first satellite in this group was launched into a geosynchronous orbit on April 8, 1984... (by CZ-3 Long March 3 The Long March 3 , also known as the Chang Zheng 3, CZ-3 and LM-3, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. It was a 3-stage rocket, and was mostly used to place DFH-2-class communications satellites into geosynchronous... ) |
1975 FSW Fanhui Shi Weixing Fanhui Shi Weixing is a series of Chinese recoverable reconnaissance satellites. The satellites were used for both military and civilian observation needs, with a total of 26 flights. The first flight was FSW-0 on 1969-06-01 and the last SJ-8 on 2006-09-09.... -0 |
2011 Tiangong 1 Tiangong 1 Tiangong-1 is a Chinese space laboratory module, and is an experimental testbed to demonstrate the rendezvous and docking capabilities needed to support a space station complex. Launched unmanned aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket on 29 September 2011, it is part of the Tiangong program, which aims... |
2000 Beidou Beidou navigation system The BeiDou Navigation System or BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a project by China to develop an independent satellite navigation system... |
2008 Tianlian I Tianlian I Tianlian I , also known as Tian Lian 1, TL-1, and CTDRS-1 is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite series. Based on the DFH-3 satellite bus, it will provide communication coverage for manned Shenzhou missions, from Shenzhou 7 onwards... |
2011 (planned) Yinghuo-1 (orbiter) |
20xx ? (planned) Solar Space Telescope |
2010 (planned) Space Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope |
|
| 1999 (PSLV-CA Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... C2) 3 Sats |
1999 PSLV  South Korea KitSat 3 Germany DLR-Tubsat |
2001 GSAT GSAT The GSAT satellites are India's indigenously developed technologies of satellite communications, like digital audio, data and video broadcasting. GSAT has been designed with two S-band and 3 C-band transponders .-GSAT-4:GSAT-4, also known as HealthSat was an experimental satellite launched on 15th... (by GSLV) |
2007 SRE-1 Space Capsule Recovery Experiment The Space Capsule Recovery Experiment is an Indian experimental spacecraft which was launched at 03:53 GMT on January 10, 2007 from Sriharikota by the Indian Space Research Organization . The launch was conducted using the PSLV C7 rocket, along with three other satellites... |
planned | 2010 (planned) IRNSS Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation which would be under total control of Indian government... |
2002 KALPANA-1 |
2013-2015 (orbiter) |
2012 (planned) Aditya Aditya (space craft) Aditya, is a space craft whose mission is to study the Sun. It was conceptualised by the Advisory Committee for Space Research in January 2008. It has been designed and will be built and launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation . ISRO Chairman G... |
2010 TAUVEX TAUVEX The Tel Aviv University Ultraviolet Explorer, or TAUVEX, is a space telescope array designed and constructed in Israel for Tel Aviv University by El-Op, Electro-Optical Industries, Ltd. acting as Prime Contractor, for the exploration of the ultraviolet sky... 2010 (planned) Astrosat Astrosat Astrosat is India's first dedicated astronomy satellite and is scheduled to launch on board the PSLV in 2012. After the success of the satellite-borne Indian X-ray Astronomy Experiment , which was launched in 1996, the Indian Space Research Organization has approved further development for a full... |
|
| 1986 (H-I H-I The H-I or H-1 was a Japanese liquid-fuelled carrier rocket, consisting of a licence-produced American first stage and set of booster rockets, and all-Japanese upper stages. It was launched nine times between 1986 and 1992... H15F) 3 Sats |
2002 H-IIA  Australia FedSatFedSat FedSat is an Australian scientific research satellite launched from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan by a NASDA H-IIA launch vehicle in December 2002... |
1977 ETS-II (by N-I N-I (rocket) The N-I or N-1 was a derivative of the American Delta rocket, produced under licence in Japan. It used a Thor-ELT first stage, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-designed LE-3 engine was used as a second stage, and three Castor SRMs. Seven were launched between 1975 and 1982, before it was replaced by... ) |
1994 OREX OREX OREX was a NASDA reentry demonstrator prototype which was launched in 1994 on the H-II launcher. It was a precursor for the Japanese space Shuttle Hope.... |
1997 ETS-VII ETS-VII The ETS-VII, or Engineering Test Satellite No. 7, was a satellite developed and launched by the National Space Development Agency of Japan . It is also known as KIKU-7. It was launched aboard an H-II rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, on 28 November 1997... |
2010 QZSS |
2002 Kodama Kodama Kodama may refer to:* Kodama , a spirit in Japanese folklore* Kodama , a Japanese bullet train service name* Kodama clan, a clan originating during the Kamakura period of Japan... |
1998 Nozomi (flyby) |
1975 Taiyo Taiyo Taiyō is the Japanese word for sun. It can also refer to:* a male Japanese firstname* Taiyō Kea, a Japanese professional wrestler* Taiyo Yakuhin or Taiyo Pharmaceutical Industry, a pharmaceutical product manufacturing company located in Takayama, Gifu, Japan* Taiyō Whales, one of the previous names... |
1979 Hakucho Hakucho Hakucho was Japan's first X-ray astronomy satellite, developed by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science... |
? : Date not Fixed, only presumptions
{only projects with under-development or above status have been listed}
Solar System explorations
Solar System explorationsTimeline of solar system exploration
This is a timeline of Solar System exploration ordered by date of spacecraft launch. It includes:*All spacecraft that have left Earth orbit for the purposes of Solar System exploration , including lunar probes....
are major space technology in the public eye as well as manned spaceflight. Since Sakigake
Sakigake
Sakigake , pre-launch codename MS-T5, was Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft, and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the USA or the Soviet Union...
, the first interplanetary probe in Asia, was launched in 1985, Japan has led Asian planetary explorations, but other nations are catching up now.
The Moon race
The MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is thought to be rich in Helium-3
Helium-3
Helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron. It is rare on Earth, and is sought for use in nuclear fusion research...
, which could one day be used in nuclear fusion power plants
Fusion power
Fusion power is the power generated by nuclear fusion processes. In fusion reactions two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus . In doing so they release a comparatively large amount of energy arising from the binding energy due to the strong nuclear force which is manifested...
to fuel future energy demands
World energy resources and consumption
]World energy consumption in 2010: over 5% growthEnergy markets have combined crisis recovery and strong industry dynamism. Energy consumption in the G20 soared by more than 5% in 2010, after the slight decrease of 2009. This strong increase is the result of two converging trends...
in Asia, which is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and harbors over 60% of the world's population. All three main Asian space powers plans to send man to Moon in far future and sent lunar probes already and in nearest future.
Probing the moon
Japan is the first Asian country to launch a lunar probe. The HitenHiten
The Hiten Spacecraft , given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A , part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990...
(Japanese: "flying angel") spacecraft (known before the launch as Muses-A), built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan, was launched on January 24, 1990. The mission did not go as it was planned in many aspects. Kaguya
SELENE
SELENE , better known in Japan by its nickname after the legendary Japanese moon princess, was the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft. Produced by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the National Space Development Agency , both now part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration...
, is the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft and was launched on September 14, 2007.
China launched its first lunar probe named Chang'e-1 on October 24, 2007 and successfully entered lunar orbit on November 5, 2007.
India launched its first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 on October 22, 2008 and successfully entered its final lunar orbit on November 2, 2008. The mission did not go as it was planned, and signal to the satellite was loss less than midway through the mission. However, it was able to successfully complete 95% of its objectives and is hence considered a major success.
Moon landings
The first confirmed moon landing in Asia was Hiten's additional mission in 1993. It was a intentional hard landing at end of mission and some pictures of lunar surface were taken until impact, but Hiten was not designed for moon lander and had few scientific instruments for lunar exploration. Japanese next moon landing program, except crash at end of mission, was LUNAR-ALUNAR-A
LUNAR-A is a cancelled Japanese spacecraft project that was originally scheduled to be launched in August 2004. After many delays LUNAR-A is a cancelled Japanese spacecraft project that was originally scheduled to be launched in August 2004. After many delays LUNAR-A is a cancelled Japanese...
developed from 1992. Although the LUNAR-A orbiter was cancelled, its landers(penetrators) are integrated into Russian Luna-Glob
Luna-Glob
Luna-Glob is the name of a Moon-exploration program by the Russian Federal Space Agency based on plans dating back to 1997. Due to financial problems, however, the project was put on hold only to be revived a few years later. Initially scheduled for launch in 2012, the mission has been brought...
program and scheduled to launch in 2011. The penetrators are "relatively" hard landers but they will not be destroyed at moon landing as same as soft landers.
The first achieved Asian probe specialized for moon landing was Indian Moon Impact Probe (MIP) released from Chandrayaan-1 in 2008. MIP was only a hard lander destroyed at landing such as Galileo's entry probe, but its instruments performed lunar observation within 25 min until impact and the landing test will be applied to future soft landings such as Chandrayaan-2 planned in 2012.
Chinese Chang'e-1 spacecraft also achieved systematical hard landing at end of mission in 2009 and China became 6th country reached at lunar surface. One of the landing purpose was pre-test of future soft landings as same as MIP. Chinese lunar soft lander is scheduled to achieve in Chang'e-3.
Asian on the Moon
Over four decades after Neil ArmstrongNeil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
has become the first man to walk on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, Asia's major powers hurry in their own space ambitions to send the first Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
to the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which have already sent orbiters, all have plans to send a manned spacecraft to the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
; the earliest schedules (China, India and Japan) would have the first manned lunar spaceflight in the 2020s.
Exploration of the major planets
Japanese interplanetary probes have been limited to Small Solar System bodies such as comets and asteroids. JAXA's Nozomi probe was launched in 1998, but contact was lost with the probe due to electrical failures before visiting the planet Mars. The second Japanese probe for the planet Venus, Akatsuki, was launched in 2010.Chinese scientists expect that China will take 20 years to launch independent planetary probes. But China may reverse the disadvantage of 44 years total in comparison with Japan. The Russian Phobos Grunt mission will bring the Chinese Yinghuo-1 probe to Mars centric orbit and is planned to launch in 2011. If successful, China will become the first country in Asia and 4th country in the world to own a "Mars orbiter". Moreover, the Chinese manned Mars exploration program is planned for c. 2050 by Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
.
India is also planning a Mars orbiter, which will be launched in 2013 at the earliest.
On the other hand, the first student planetary probe in the world may come from Asia. The PLANET-C probe is planned to bring the UNITEC-1 student spacecraft to Venus.
Asian space agencies and programs
- Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization is the national space research and exploration agency of Bangladesh. Established in 1980 as an autonomous multisectoral R & D organization of the Bangladesh government, SPARRSO has been the national focal point for peaceful applications of...
- China National Space Administration (CNSA)
China National Space Administration
The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities...
(Chinese space program
Chinese space program
The space program of the People's Republic of China is directed by the China National Space Administration . Its technological roots can be traced back to the late 1950s, when the People's Republic began a rudimentary ballistic missile program in response to perceived American threats...
) - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore...
- National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN)
National Institute of Aeronautics and Space
National Institute of Aeronautics and Space is the Indonesian government space agency. It was established on November 27, 1964 by former Indonesian president Suharto after one year's existence of an informal space agency organization. LAPAN is responsible for long-term civilian and military...
- Iranian Space Agency (ISA)
Iranian Space Agency
The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009...
- Israeli Space Agency (ISA)
Israeli Space Agency
Israel Space Agency is a governmental body that coordinates all Israeli space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. It was established in 1983 and is currently headed by Aluf professor Yitzhak Ben Yisrael...
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
- Malaysian National Space Agency (MNSA) - Korean Committee of Space Technology (KCST)
Korean Committee of Space Technology
The Korean Committee of Space Technology is the state-controlled space agency of North Korea. Very little information on it is publicly available. It is known to be founded sometime in the 1980s, and most likely is connected to the Artillery Guidance Bureau of the Korean People's Army...
- Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics and aerospace research...
- Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
- Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
Korea Aerospace Research Institute
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. Current projects include the KSLV launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989...
- National Space Organization (NSPO) - Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
External links
- Japan's Evolving Space Program, Comparison of Japan's program with the rest of Asia (September 2011)