China’s CASC Aims to Break its Satellite Launch Record in 2012
By Jeffrey Hill | January 23, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 01-23-12] China will aim to launch 21 rockets and 30 satellites into space as a part of its 2012 space program, Chinese space officials said in a Jan. 20 statement.
The Chinese space program’s busiest year was 2010, when the nation launched 19 rockets and 22 satellites. The China Aerospace and Technology Corp. (CASC) said that it would work to ensure the success of all its upcoming launch missions, including the launch of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft.
Shenzhou-9 aims to achieve space rendezvous and docking missions with the orbiting Tiangong-1 vehicle. China also will export its first remote sensing satellite to Venezuela as a part of its 2012 space agenda. CASC’s long-term plans include launching 100 missions to send 100 satellites into space by 2015 and the completion of a manned space laboratory by 2020.