China has formed a complete and modern system of aerospace launches, according to a Chinese expert in charge of the monitoring of aerospace launches.
He said China's three aerospace launching sites in Jiuquan (Gansu Province), Taiyuan (Shanxi Province) and Xichang (Sichuan Province) now are capable of launching space-craft into high, medium and low orbits. Besides, China had officially put into use a manned spacecraft launching site in 1998.
China has also established an internationally advanced aerospace monitoring system based on both land and the sea.
To date, China has developed 12 types of Long-March series of carrier rockets capable of launching various kinds of spacecraft and to various orbits. During the past five years, the Long-March rockets have made 21 launches, all successful, and sent 27 satellites and three spacecraft into the space.
"This shows the overall properties of China's Long-March rockets have approached or even reached advanced levels in the world," according to the expert.
(People's Daily October 28, 2002)
