China´s Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-25-2008 16:44

To get a better understanding of rockets and the development of China's rocket technology, our reporter Yin Chen visited China's Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The space museum of China's Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

The Academy was established in 1957 and lies in the suburbs south of Beijing. The highlight of the Academy is the space museum, which displays life-sized and small proportion models of rockets and satellites. These models paint the history of space travel in China, from ancient space exploration all the way up to the very latest in modern space technology.

China has always been considered the birthplace of rockets, dating back to ancient times. Gunpowder was one of the four major inventions that China bestowed on the world, and as a result, the first rockets were essentially gunpowder-filled tubes with an arrow attacked to one end. When ignited, the gunpowder would produce an enormous forward propulsion, and with a little more tinkering and some sophisticated technology, this concept was used to mark the start of space exploration.

600 years later, Wan Hu would probably struggle to recognize today's latest models. These rockets are the vehicles which could catapult satellites into space. The Long March series of rocket have sent all six previous Shenzhou spacecrafts into the sky, and a Long March 2F will again be the rocket used to launch Shenzhou 7.