Abstract :
China is well on its way to becoming a major player in the global space race with the launch of its first manned spaceflight on October 2003. An integral part of China´s comprehensive development strategy is the space industry which has been consolidated under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a state-owned enterprise headquartered in Beijing. This paper briefly describes how China´s space industry began and some of its milestone achievements including the launch of its first satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1 (DFH-1) and Sinosat-1 communication satellite. Despite its sour relations with the US, China continues to work hard towards becoming an internationally recognized supplier of commercial satellites. The country is now planning to launch its first unmanned lunar orbiter, Chang´s-1, in 2007
