China's space program has undergone a significant transformation over the last five years and is set to reach even greater heights in the next five years.
From assembling the Tiangong Space Station to preparing for lunar missions by 2030, the nation is rapidly advancing its capabilities.
In the final stretch of a rocket's journey at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, those working on the mission travel alongside it, cheering and wishing it well.
Five years ago, scenes like this were still quite rare, and China's space station was far from what it is today.
Sun Yanqiu from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is among the tens of thousands of people involved in the China Space Station program, having started with the Shenzhou-12 mission in 2021.
She said that she couldn't really relax the entire time.
"I think probably all of us on the test team felt the same way: we had to focus on what was right in front of us and do our current job well," Sun said.
The team remains meticulous and pays extreme attention to their tasks today.
As China’s space program makes even bigger strides, scientists can now conduct their own research on the space station. For instance, Zhang Hongzhang, a 39-year-old payload specialist on the Shenzhou-21 crewed mission, is one of the newcomers making contributions to the program.
China is on track to send its first astronauts to the moon by 2030, marking a significant milestone in its ambitious space program.
The manned moon mission requires new, improved, and increasingly powerful hardware. China is accelerating the development of the new-generation manned spacecraft, the Long March 10 rocket, a manned lunar lander, new spacesuits, and related technologies. In the meantime, astronauts are developing new sets of skills. The ambition doesn't stop there.
China's Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions are heading to the moon's south pole before 2030. They will form a basic model of the International Lunar Research Station.
The Tianwen-2 mission, already on its way to asteroid 2016 HO3, will collect samples and return them to Earth - a deep-space first for China. Tianwen-3 will attempt to bring back Martian soil in the coming years.
Just days before the Chinese New Year in February, China conducted one of its most complex space tests to date - a sequence involving the nation’s most powerful new-generation rocket, and the vessel that will carry astronauts to the moon in the future.
"This was an extremely challenging flight test, both technically and methodologically. It also served as a strong validation of our testing approach and demonstrated China's growing capabilities in space technology," said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's Manned Space Program.
From launch centers on the ground to the moon and beyond, China’s journey through space continues.
Review: China’s space development over past five years
Smart innovations are driving the upgrade of China's manufacturing industry, said Nan Cunhui, chairman of Chinese smart energy solutions provider CHINT Group, on Saturday.
As a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, China's top political advisory body, Nan made the statement at a group interview on the sidelines of the ongoing 4th session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, saying that CHINT Group's development over the past four decades is a good example of industrial transformation.
"The transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry cannot be achieved without technological innovation that integrates digitalization with intelligentization. Over the past more than 40 years of innovative growth, CHINT Group has evolved from a traditional electrical equipment manufacturer to a new energy solutions provider, and now to a comprehensive energy service provider. Each step of its transformation has been driven by technological innovation and digital integration which foster sustainable development," Nan said.
CHINT Group began its journey as a switch producer in 1984 and has gradually evolved into a major global smart energy solution provider. Today, the company integrates the entire industrial chain of power generation, storage, transmission, transformation, distribution and use.
From the extremely cold areas of Finland to the deserts of Saudi Arabia and the tropical rainforests of Ecuador, CHINT has expanded its footprints to over 100 countries and regions.
Since 2006, CHINT has ventured into the photovoltaic new energy field, quickly establishing international competitiveness in the development, design, investment, construction, operation and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants.
Nan said his company has been combining AI with the green energy industry and developing key technologies such as new-type energy storage.
"We keep making breakthroughs in key technologies such as virtual power plants, new-type energy storage and solid-state transformers, while steadily enhancing capabilities in intelligent manufacturing, green manufacturing, and service-oriented manufacturing. In our factories, the entire process, from order placement to product delivery, is driven by data and algorithms. This has reduced overall operating costs by 20 percent and increased efficiency by 50 percent," he said.
Nan said CHINT has shared its smart transformation with many small-sized companies in the country.
"In recent years, CHINT Group has leveraged AI and cloud platform technologies to develop industry-specific large models, leading supplier partners to carry out digitalized transformation, and promoting common growth of small, medium-sized and micro enterprises," he said.
China's fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee opened on Wednesday and is scheduled to run through March 11.
Innovation drives transformation of manufacturing industry: CPPCC member
