Reaching for the stars: China's journey into space

China celebrates its 11th Space Day on April 24 this year, which also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's space program.

Fifty six years ago, China successfully launched its first man-made satellite, Dongfanghong-1, making it the fifth country in the world to independently develop and launch an artificial satellite. Since then, the country has embarked on a journey into the vast expanse of space.

Chinese President Xi Jinping once said, "Exploring the vast universe, developing space programs and becoming an aerospace power have always been the dream we've been striving for."

Entering the new era, Xi has attached great importance to boosting China's strength in aerospace, guiding the country's space endeavor to scale new heights.

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) forms a configuration covering the entire globe; the Chang'e probe collected and returned samples from the moon; the Tiangong space station is operating steadily in orbit; the probe Tianwen-1 successfully landed on Mars, taking the rover Zhurong with it; the country sent its first solar exploration satellite Xihe into orbit.

These are the legends China has written in its space exploration journey, forging a spirit of space exploration that is passed down and carried forward through generations.

The quest for the stars never comes to an end. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the Chinese people will explore further into space with more confidence and composure.