China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that it will develop new generation satellites for civil spaceflight during the 10th Five-year Plan period (2001-2005).
The gross investment in the program will greatly exceed the investment in civil spaceflight during the 9th Five-year Plan period (1996-2000), said Guo Baozhu, deputy director of CNSA.
Under the plan of CNSA, the key items in the program will include large-capacity broadcasting and telecom satellites, an oceanic satellite system, a secured double-satellite space exploration program and a resource satellite system, reported Renmin Ribao.
CNSA will also carry out research on new-generation launching vehicles, upgrade the overall level and capacity of launching vehicles and improve the performance and reliability of the Long-March series of rockets.
In addition, CNSA will gradually build up an earth environmental observation system composed of satellites.
Regarding the development of large-capacity broadcasting and telecom satellites, CNSA said that China’s promising information industry creates new demand for telecom satellite transmitters.
Commercial consumers focus on large-capacity, high reliability and long- service-life broadcasting and telecommunication satellites.
CNSA will expedite the development of large capacity broadcasting and telecom satellites so as to form China’s satellite telecom industry.
