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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

The Chinese space programme is one of the least well-known national programmes of space exploration. Yet astronomy, rocketry and space exploration have a long tradition in China: the rocket was invented there and the Chinese space programme was formally established in 1956, before the first Sputnik even orbited the Earth.

In The Chinese Space Programme: From Conception to Future Capabilities, Brian Harvey traces the origins and development of the Chinese space programme. He records how the Chinese Communist leadership recruited scientists expelled from the United States to build a programme to match those of the Americans and Russians. He describes the political turmoil which then interrupted the development of the programme - the great leap forward, the cultural revolution, political reorganization and diplomatic isolation. Not until 1970 did China launch its first satellite, Dong Fang Hong ("The East is Red").

The author outlines how China has since developed a space programme comprising over 50 scientific probes, recoverable cabins, weather and communications satellites. China has built a familiy of launchers in the Long March series, constructed three launch sites and developed a formidable infrastructure of space facilities. Chinese launchers have made a modest impact on the world commercial launcher market. The author looks forward to Chinese plans to put cosmonauts in space and become the world's third great space power.

This is the first comprehensive account of the Chinese space programme. Brian Harvey describes the history of the programme, assesses its current capabilities and standards and outlines its plans for the future. Glossaries and key dates are provided as well as technical information on China launchers and satellites.

(Extracted from the dust jacket).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Table of Contents.

-Author's Preface.

-Acknowledgements.

-List of Illustrations, Maps and Tables.

-1. Origin: the Fiery Dragon (1000-1959).

-2. Dong Fang Hong - the East is Red (1960-1971).

-3. Expansion of the Chinese Space Programme (1972-1983).

-4. Development of Space Programmes (1984-1998).

-5. Making It All Possible: China's Space Industry.

-6. Launch Sites, Launchers and Engines.

-7. China's Future in Space.

-References.

-Principal Milestones in the Development of the Chinese Space Programme.

-List of All Chinese Space Launchings.

-Glossary.

-Bibliography.

-Index.