China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Government Space Agency

  • Full Name: China National Space Administration (CNSA) (中国国家航天局)
  • Affiliation: People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国)
  • Founded: 1993年4月22日
  • Hardware: Biological Experiment Payload (BEP)
  • Focus Areas: Astrobotany Research
  • Type: Ground Control, Spaceflight
  • Confirmed Plants Grown in Space:
  • Accolades:
      • First space agency to perform an astrobotany experiment on the surface of the Moon.

Summary

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) (中国国家航天局) is the national space agency of the People’s Republic of China.  The CNSA is an administrative government institution that sets China’s space policy- much of the actual technology development takes place with its affiliate state-owned programs (see below).  Despite only being founded in 1993, CNSA has transformed China’s space program into one of the world’s most advanced.  China maintains its own space stations and routinely performs astrobotany experiments onboard its spacecraft.  Additionally, in 2019, CNSA made history by performing the first astrobotany experiment on the Moon.

CNSA Astronauts | Image Credit: news.cn

State Affiliates of CNSA

  • China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC) (中国航天科技集团公司): the main state-owned contractor for China’s space program.  CASC develops spacecraft, satellites, and launch vehicles for CNSA.  
  • China Manned Space Agency (中国载人航天工程办公室): state agency of China responsible for China’s human spaceflight program.

References