Originally Posted by LibertyBell7:
“What's the latest on the Chinese manned space program. It's been a while since they sent someone up there hasn't it.”
Originally Posted by Ricardodaforce:
“I'd be interested in an answer to that question.”
Yes I've got more info now that I've read the Feb issue of Spaceflight mag which had a feature.
Shenzhou 5 saw the first manned mission with Yang Liwei being sent up. Shenzhou 6 saw Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng go up. The ACC has up to 28 astronauts in training - 14 originals who have been on the programme for 10 years and a newer batch. Yang Liwei now has a senior role in chagre of them.
The next manned flight will be Shenzhou 7 - a three crew orbital mission including a space walk. This has been delayed because the water tank training facility for space walks has not been built. Could be later this year or 2009.
After this unmanned Shenzhou 8 space lab will be sent up probably in 2010. An unmanned Shenzhou 9 will be sent up to dock with it about a month later. 8 & 9 will form the new space lab for three. Then the manned Shenzhou 10 will be sent shortly afterwards to provide the crew.
China's more distant plan is for a space station. It's working on a next gen launcher that will have a 25,000 kg lift capably - similar to the shuttle I think - to put space station modules in orbit. The CNASA has said that these rockets might not be based at the proposed Huinan facility but at an as yet undecided one.
Obviously it requires enormous funding to build a space station so the some Chinese are pushing for partnership with private enterprise and other space agencies, apart from NASA, as the Americans have said so far they won't work with the Chinese in space. Odd considering they're financing Chinese growth to super power status!

As for landing on the moon, there is no official timetable. I guess they need to sort out the orbital stuff first. The progress has probably been going slower than they would like but then it's being done independently at the moment. It's just a shame the world can't all work together on this. But it will only probably happen if the communist government is removed.
So that's where they are up to!
Key terms: CNSA - Chinese National Space Administration, ACC - Astronaut Centre of China, CAST - Chinese Academy of Space Technology.