On
April 24, 1970, The People's Republic of China launched Dongfanghong I, making China the fifth country after the Soviet Union, United States, France, and Japan to independently launch a satellite. Although Dongfanghong I was launched 13 years after Sputnik I, its mass exceeded the combined masses of the first satellites of the other four countries. With this successful launch, China became a member of the "Space Club". After this launch, Qian Xuesen proposed to the Chinese government that China should develop a manned space program and submitted a manned space undertaking report. Mao Zedong himself signed "approved" to the report.
Here we are 44 years later... and I can't help but to wonder how the Chinese will commemorate this 44th anniversary. How will they top that accomplishment? In Chinese culture, 4 is very "not auspicious" I can't help but to think how a 44th anniversary would be considered doubly so. I guess we'll see in just under a month.
