- 1956: China, still an overwhelmingly rural society mired in poverty, opens its first Missile and Rocket Research Institute.

- 1957: The Chinese government kicks off "Mission 581", a program aimed at making satellite launches possible.

- 1960: China develops its first rocket, aided by Russian scientists. It marks the start of an entire series of rockets, all named CZ (abbreviation for Changzheng, or "Long March").

- 1964: Twelve tubes with biological samples, four albino rats and four white mice are put on a T-7A-S rocket that reaches an altitude of 70 kilometers (44 miles).

- 1968: An institute for medical and space engineering opens in Beijing, charged with conducting research into manned spaceflight.

- 1970: On April 24, China becomes the fifth country in the world to send a satellite into orbit, as the DFH-1 is lifted into space on board a Long March rocket.

- 1980: Several official newspapers carry articles and photos describing preparations for manned space flight, but the project never materializes, apparently because of fiscal constraints.

- 1984: A second launch site opens in Xichang, southwestern China's Sichuan province, to relieve the pressure on the existing site at Jiuquan, in the northwest. The new site is especially designed to put geostationary satellites into orbit.

- 1988: Opening of a third launch site, located at Taiyuan in north China.

- 1992: As China makes manned space flight its mid- to long-term objective, the State Council adopts "project 921", which is as secretive as past projects, and is later known by the name Shenzhou ("Divine Vessel").

- 1993: Chinese officials visit Russia's space program.

- 1994: The CZ-2D rocket lifts off, carrying several small animals.

- 1995: China's space program suffers a tragic setback, when a CZ-2E rocket explodes during take-off from Xichang, killing six people.

- 1996: China signs an agreement on the acquisition of Russian space technology.

- 1997: Two Chinese, Wu Jie and Li Jinlong, complete a year of training at Russia's Star City and become qualified as instructors. A mission control center is opened in Beijing.

- 1998: The development of a space vessel is announced in March.

- 1999: The Shenzhou spacecraft is launched on November 20 on a CZ-2F rocket and returns to earth after 14 orbits. It carries several kilograms of biological samples.

- 2000: In Hong Kong, the Shenzhou vessel is shown to the public for the first time, while several official documents are published on the space program.

- 2001: Shenzhou II blasts off on January 9, carrying several small animals and microbes. The capsule returns to earth on January 16, touching down in the Inner Mongolia region.

- 2002: Shenzhou III is launched on March 25 in the presence of President Jiang Zemin. On April 1, after orbiting the earth 108 times, the craft returns to earth, landing in Inner Mongolia. Shortly afterwards, Beijing announces plans to set up a space station.

On December 29, Shenzhou IV is sent into orbit, and returns to earth on January 4, also touching down in Inner Mongolia. The same month, China says it plans its inaugural manned space flight to take place in October.

- 2003: The Xinhua news agency announces on October 10 that the launch of a manned space flight will happen between October 15-17.

SPACE.WIRE