China's Manned Space Program in 2025: Shenzhou, Tianzhou, Haolong, and Qingzhou Usher in a New Era of Space Exploration

China's Manned Space Program in 2025: Shenzhou, Tianzhou, Haolong, and Qingzhou Usher in a New Era of Space Exploration2024 witnessed a remarkable achievement in Chinese space exploration with 68 rocket launches, leaving a significant mark on the vast cosmos. In 2025, China's manned space program will continue its glorious journey, taking even bolder strides towards the stars

China's Manned Space Program in 2025: Shenzhou, Tianzhou, Haolong, and Qingzhou Usher in a New Era of Space Exploration

2024 witnessed a remarkable achievement in Chinese space exploration with 68 rocket launches, leaving a significant mark on the vast cosmos. In 2025, China's manned space program will continue its glorious journey, taking even bolder strides towards the stars. Shenzhou 20, Shenzhou 21, and Tianzhou 9 are poised to rendezvous with the Chinese Space Station (CSS), initiating new station missions. Simultaneously, the Haolong reusable cargo spacecraft and Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, launched by the Zhuque-3 and Lijian-2 rockets respectively, will join the CSS family, injecting new vitality into the station's daily operation and scientific experiments. What exciting changes will these new additions bring to the future development of the CSS?

This year, the CSS will welcome Shenzhou 20, Shenzhou 21, and Tianzhou 9. Last May, the selection of China's fourth batch of ten astronauts was successfully completed, and some of these astronauts will undertake missions aboard Shenzhou 20 and Shenzhou 21. Significantly, the Long March 2F Y20 launch vehicle and the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft have already been deployed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, ready to respond to any potential contingencies.

Yang Yuguang, chairman of the International Astronautical Federation's Space Transportation Committee, provided a detailed explanation. He pointed out that this pre-deployment arrangement is designed to provide additional safety guarantees for astronauts in orbit and ensure the smooth completion of CSS missions. Yang emphasized that the Shenzhou 19 crew is conducting various scientific experiments on the space station, while the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft and launch vehicle are on standby. In case of any unforeseen space event, they can quickly complete ground tests and launch a spacecraft in an unmanned mode to safely return the orbiting astronauts to Earth.

In 2025, scientific research activities at the CSS will continue to flourish. Scientific and technological experiments will be conducted in fields such as space medicine, space biology, fluid physics, combustion, materials preparation, and space science. Furthermore, the space station's "circle of friends" is expanding. The Zhuque-3 rocket, carrying the Haolong cargo spacecraft, is scheduled for its maiden flight, while the Lijian-2 rocket, carrying the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, will also launch, providing more diversified cargo transportation services to the space station.

Given the existing Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, why introduce Haolong and Qingzhou? Yang Yuguang offered a clear explanation. He stated that Tianzhou adequately meets the basic needs of the CSS's daily operation. However, as the space station's role as a space laboratory becomes increasingly prominent, more and more scientific experiments are placing higher demands on cargo transportation, particularly for time-sensitive experimental materials that need rapid delivery. In this context, the agile Haolong and Qingzhou will offer unique advantages as efficient supplementary cargo transport vehicles.

Yang further explained that rapid upward transportation is crucial for time-sensitive cargo, such as samples needed for biological and medical experiments. Haolong and Qingzhou will demonstrate significant advantages in this area, complementing Tianzhou and meeting the CSS's growing cargo transportation needs, thereby enhancing experimental efficiency.

Zhuque-3, a new generation reusable rocket and China's first stainless steel reusable liquid-fueled launch vehicle, boasts a 4.5-meter diameter and a first-stage design with a reusable lifespan of at least 20 launches. Its low-Earth orbit payload capacity for single-use missions is 21.3 tons, and 18.3 tons for missions with on-site recovery. He Bin, general manager of the public relations department of LandSpace (the developer of Zhuque rockets), explained that Zhuque-3's development is based on the high-density launch requirements of China's satellite internet networking, aiming to provide high-thrust and first-stage reusable launch capabilities.

Three Zhuque-3 launches are planned for 2025, including a first-stage recovery test. This includes the "GW" constellation launch mission and providing launch services for commercial cargo spacecraft for the CSS. Preparations for Zhuque-3 are progressing smoothly. He also revealed that Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 will transition from research and development to operational mode and enter a stable operational phase within the next two years. Zhuque-2 is expected to deliver six launches in 2025, providing a 24-ton payload capacity to a 500km sun-synchronous orbit; Zhuque-3 will conduct its maiden flight in the third quarter of this year, with three launches planned for the year, offering approximately 60 tons of payload capacity. Currently, Zhuque-3 is undergoing engine system testing.

Zhuque-3's first-stage recovery employs a land-based recovery system, equipped with four landing legs at the rocket's rear and using aerodynamic deceleration and grid fins for attitude control. Furthermore, it utilizes engine reignition technology and integrated guidance during flight, techniques fully validated in previous flight tests.

Another new pair of members for the CSS are the Qingzhou-1 cargo spacecraft and the Lijian-2 launch vehicle. Qingzhou-1, featuring an integrated single-cabin configuration, offers 27 cubic meters of space and can carry 1.8 to 2 tons of cargo. Lijian-2 will be responsible for launching Qingzhou-1, with a maiden flight scheduled for September 2025. This mission marks the first time a Chinese commercial aerospace company participates in the research and launch of a low-cost cargo transportation project for the CSS.

Yang Yuguang stated that both the Qingzhou-1/Lijian-2 and Haolong/Zhuque-3 combinations reflect the rapid development of Chinese space technology. Commercial spaceflight, an essential component of China's space program, is poised to enter a new chapter in 2025. The addition of these new spacecraft and rockets will not only enhance the CSS's cargo transportation capacity and efficiency but also signifies the rise of China's commercial space power, injecting new momentum into the sustained development of China's space program. China's space program is striding towards even broader cosmic horizons with renewed confidence.

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