China will carry out intensive space missions in 2026, including close-in asteroid exploration, manned spaceflights, and flight tests of reusable rockets, a senior official with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Friday.
China carried out 92 space launches in 2025, up 35 percent from the previous year, according to the CNSA.
Last year, China successfully launched the Tianwen-2 asteroid flyby and sampling mission, carried out four launch missions and two return missions for the manned space program, successfully conducted the first emergency space launch, and smoothly advanced the manned lunar landing project, the CNSA said.
In addition, China has actively promoted application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in key areas and mass consumption, fully accelerated the building of its satellite internet, and carried out maiden flight tests of two types of reusable carrier rockets, namely the Zhuque-3 and the Long March-12A.
""In 2026, the Tianwen-2 will approach its target asteroid for close-in exploration, the manned space program will carry out the Shenzhou-23 and other manned spaceflights, and multiple types of reusable rockets will undergo flight tests. The commercial space sector will ensure high-quality development with a high level of safety," said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China's space industry. This milestone will be celebrated alongside the 11th Space Day of China on April 24, with the primary event scheduled in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province and with Brazil being the guest of honor.
Besides, China will hold the China Space Conference, activities to popularize aerospace science in schools, and technical exchange events to celebrate the anniversary.
China to carry out intensive space missions in 2026: official
