In a landmark achievement for China’s growing naval aviation capabilities, the aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17), the country’s first domestically built flattop, has surpassed 10,000 aircraft sorties since entering service in December 2019, according to Chinese state media reports. This milestone underscores the rapid evolution of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) carrier program and its expanding role in long-range maritime operations. The figure includes a wide spectrum of missions, ranging from basic training exercises to full operational deployments. The sortie count represents a key metric in assessing a carrier’s combat readiness and operational efficiency, particularly in terms of aircraft launch-and-recovery ...

In a move that signals China’s growing leadership in global space science, the International Deep Space Exploration Association (IDSEA) was officially launched on July 7, 2025, in Hefei, Anhui Province. The association is the latest chapter in China’s expanding efforts to promote international cooperation in deep space exploration, planetary science, and the peaceful use of outer space. Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program and a leading academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was elected as IDSEA’s first chairman. During the inauguration ceremony, Wu emphasized that the association aims to foster international dialogue and joint innovation, ...

Over the waters off Shandong Province, a plume of fire and smoke signals another leap forward for China’s commercial space ambitions. On May 19, Galactic Energy successfully launched four satellites from an offshore platform—its fifth consecutive sea-based success. The mission underscores the momentum building across China’s rapidly evolving commercial aerospace industry. Once dominated by state-led initiatives, China’s space sector is being reshaped by a new generation of private aerospace firms. These companies are bringing speed, precision, and innovation to launch operations, from coastal pads to orbital deployment. Sea-based launches like Galactic Energy’s represent only one facet of a much larger ...

China’s space ambitions accelerated further this week with a pair of significant rocket launches, one state-led, the other commercial, demonstrating the country’s expanding capabilities in both geostationary and low Earth orbit missions. Long March 7A Launches Classified ChinaSat-3B At 7:50 a.m. Eastern on May 20 (1150 UTC), a Long March 7A rocket thundered off the pad at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island. Roughly an hour later, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) declared the mission a success, identifying the payload as ChinaSat-3B (Zhongxing-3B)—a communications satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a CASC ...

The field of supersonic civil aviation is experiencing a global resurgence, with companies from the United States, Europe, and Asia racing to redefine air travel. After the retirement of the Concorde in 2003, which marked the end of the first era of supersonic passenger jets, a new wave of innovation is poised to bring this technology back to life. Among the key players is the Chinese aerospace company Lingkong Tianxing, which is taking an innovative approach to developing next-generation supersonic aircraft. The Global Landscape: Renewed Interest in Supersonic Flight The Concorde, developed jointly by Britain and France, was the first ...

China’s aerospace industry has made remarkable strides since its inception, achieving milestones that have placed it among the leading spacefaring nations. From the launch of the first artificial satellite “Dongfanghong-1” in 1970 to the groundbreaking Mars mission “Tianwen-1,” these achievements have charted a path of innovation, perseverance, and ambition. Looking ahead, China’s space program is poised for further transformation, with promising developments in deep space exploration, commercial spaceflight, and international cooperation likely to shape its future. 1. Building on a Legacy of Achievements China’s history of space exploration reflects consistent progress, from the early success of “Dongfanghong-1” to landmark missions ...