The Overview of China Aerospace science & Technology Corporation

With the approval of the State Council, China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation (CASC) inherit a number of organizations under the former China Aerospace Corporation. A large state-owned enterprise, CASC constitutes the Government-authorized investment organization under the direct supervision of the Central Government, with a registered capital of RMB 9 billion yuan.

China's space history dates back to October of 1956, first as the No.5 Research Academy of the Ministry of National Defense, subsequently as the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry, the Ministry of Astronautics Industry, Ministry of Aerospace Industry and China Aerospace Corporation. In accordance with the resolution of the first plenary session meeting of the Ninth People's Congress, and with the approval of the State Council, China Aerospace Corporation split on July 1st, 1999 into China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation and China Aerospace Machinery & Electronics Corporation, with a view to better posing ourselves in the socialist market economy.

CASC specializes in developing launch vehicles, spacecrafts, manned spaceships, and various types of strategic and tactical missiles, dealing with imports & exports of space-related products and international cooperation. In addition to the above space products and service, the company also develops, manufactures and supplies a variety of civilian products such as machinery, chemicals, communications, transportation, computer, medical care and environmental protection. At the same time, CASC is engaged in purchase bids, contracting overseas projects, technical consultation and labor export.

CASC has abilities to develop and launch low earth orbit (LEO), GEOSTATIONARY, AND SUN-SYNCHRONOUS ROCHETS. It has ranked itself among the world advanced in such areas as high-energy propellant technology, strap-on boosters, and launching multiple satellites atop a single rocket. The company can also develop such spacecraft al communication satellites, meteorological satellites, earth resource satellites and scientific experimental satellites, with leading technologies in satellite recovery, orbit control and attitude control. In addition, CASC is strong in satellite applications, information technology, and automatic control and system integration. With over 40 years' experience, CASC has formed a complete technical system for design, manufacture and test, and a business system integration technology and trade.

Over 130 organizations across China are subordinate to CASC, including five large research academies, i.e., Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), The Academy of Space Chemical Propulsion Technology, Chines Academy of Space Technology (CAST), Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST), Chinese Academy of Space Electronics Technology (CASET), along with two large research and manufacture bases, Sichuan Space Industry Corporation, Xi'an Space Science & Technology Industry Corporation, as well as a number of factories, research institutes under the direct supervision of the headquarters, and companies in which CASC has major or minor shares. CASC enjoys around 110,000 employees, in which technical staff accounts for more than 41,000, including over 1,300 researchers and 25 academicians of both Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 24 academicians and corresponding members of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).