China Manned Space Agency
Government agency
Agency nameChina Manned Space Agency
Nativename a中国载人航天工程办公室
FormedJune 1993 (age 33)[1]
JurisdictionChina
HeadquartersHaidian, Beijing
Chief1 nameHao Chun
Chief2 nameLin Xiqiang
Parent agencyEquipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission

China Manned Space Agency (abbreviated as CMSA) is a government agency of China responsible for the administration of China Manned Space Program,[2] the Chinese human spaceflight program. The agency is under the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission.

Name

The native name of the organization (simplified Chinese: 中国载人航天工程办公室) was initially translated into English as "China Manned Space Engineering Office" as of 2014.[3] However, ever since 2015, the name "China Manned Space Agency" has been used in official statements and news-releases till date, and its native name remains unchanged.[4][5] It is also the name displayed on the official website of China Manned Space Program.[2]

Functions

China Manned Space Agency represents the Chinese government to take management responsibilities for the China Manned Space Program.[6]

CMSA's functions including development strategy, planning, overall technology, research and production, infrastructure construction, flight missions organization and implementation, utilization and promotion, international cooperation and news-release, etc.[2]

Organizational structure

CMSA consists of the following divisions:[2]

  • Integrated Planning & Management Division
  • Scientific Program & Quality Control Division
  • Utilization & Development Division
  • Infrastructure Construction Division
  • System Division

Taikonauts

As of April 2025, twenty-six Chinese taikonauts have traveled to space (in alphabetical order):

International cooperation

In 2016, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and CMSA agreed to increased space cooperation via opportunities on-board China's future space station.[5]

In 2018, UNOOSA and CMSA invited the applications from United Nations Member States to conduct experiments on-board China's Space Station.[7]

On 12 June 2019, UNOOSA and CMSA announced the winners of the selected experiments to be boarded onto the space station.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "办公室介绍". cmse.gov.cn. Archived 11 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  2. ^ "CMSA_CHINA MANNED SPACE". China Manned Space. Archived 2020-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  3. ^ "Space Science Experiment Design Competition for Hong Kong Secondary School Student Officially Opened in Hong Kong". China Manned Space. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Remarks at the Second Press Conference of Tiangong I & Shenzhou X Manned Space Program". China Manned Space. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  5. ^ "United Nations and China agree to increased space cooperation". United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. 16 June 2016. Archived 22 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Management_CHINA MANNED SPACE". China Manned Space. Archived 3 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  7. ^ "United Nations and China invite applications to conduct experiments on-board China's Space Station". United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. 28 May 2018. Archived 3 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  8. ^ "UNOOSA and CMSA announce winners of opportunity to fly experiments on board China Space Station". United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. 12 June 2019. Archived 16 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  9. ^ "China Space Station". United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. 12 June 2019. Archived 30 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 July 2021.