View source for China National Space Administration

{{Short description|National space agency of the People's Republic of China}}
{{About|the administrative office for China's civil space programs and international space cooperation|the operator of China's state space programs|China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation|the office for China's human spaceflight program|China Manned Space Agency|other uses|CNSA (disambiguation)||}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox space agency
| name            = China National Space Administration
| native_name_a   = {{lang|zh-CN|国家航天局}}
| acronym         = CNSA
| type            = [[Space agency]]
| seal            = China National Space Administration.svg
| formed          = {{start date and age|1993|4|22|df=yes}}
| preceding1      = [[Ministry of Aerospace Industry]] (partial)
| jurisdiction    = [[State Council of the People's Republic of China]]
| headquarters    = [[Haidian District, Beijing|Haidian]], [[Beijing]]
| budget          = {{increase}} {{US$|18.15&nbsp;billion|link=yes}} (2023) 28.54% increase <ref>{{cite web |title=Global governmental spending on space programs of leading countries 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/745717/global-governmental-spending-on-space-programs-leading-countries/ |website=Statista |access-date=25 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref group=Note name=Note01/>
| leader_name     = [[Zhang Kejian]]
| leader_title = Administrator
| leader_name2     = Xu Zhanbin
| leader_title2 = Vice Administrator
| leader_name3     = Li Guoping
| leader_title3 = Chief Engineer
| leader_name4     = Xu Hongliang
| leader_title4 = Secretary-General
| spaceport       = {{Unbulleted indent list
  | [[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]]
  | [[Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center]]
  | [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]]
  | [[Wenchang Space Launch Site]]
  }}
| website         = {{official URL}}
}}
{{Chinese
| s = {{linktext|国家|航天|局}}
| t = {{linktext|國家|航天|局}}
| p = Guójiā Hángtiān Jú
| w = {{tone superscript|Kuo2-chia1 Hang2-t'ien1 Chü2}}
| bpmf = ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄏㄤˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄐㄩˊ
| l = National Astronautics Administration
| j = Gwok3 gaa1 Hong4 tin1 Guk6
| y = Gwok-gāa Hòhng-tin Guhk
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|g|uo|2|j|ia|1|-|h|ang|2|t|ian|1|-|ju|2}}
| ci = {{IPA|yue|kʷɔ̄ːk.káːhɔ̏ːŋtʰīnkùːk|}}
| order = st
}}

The '''China National Space Administration''' ('''CNSA''') is the national [[List of government space agencies|space agency]] of China. Headquartered in [[Haidian, Beijing]], it is responsible for China's civil space programs and international space cooperation. The CNSA is a national bureau under the [[Ministry of Industry and Information Technology]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2024 |url=https://media.defense.gov/2024/Dec/18/2003615520/-1/-1/0/MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2024.PDF |website=U.S. Department of Defense |access-date=August 5, 2025}}</ref>

Founded in 1993, the CNSA has pioneered a number of achievements in space for China despite its relatively short history, including becoming the first space agency to land on the [[far side of the Moon]] with [[Chang'e 4]], bringing material back from the Moon with [[Chang'e 5]] and [[Chang'e 6|6]], and being the second agency who successfully landed a rover on Mars with [[Tianwen-1]]. [[Tianwen-2]] is en route to explore the [[co-orbital]] near-Earth asteroid [[469219 Kamoʻoalewa]] and the [[active asteroid]] [[311P/PanSTARRS]] and collecting samples of the regolith of Kamo'oalewa.<ref name="nature20190430">{{cite journal |last=Gibney |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01390-5 |title=China plans mission to Earth's pet asteroid |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |date=30 April 2019 |access-date=4 June 2019 |doi=10.1038/d41586-019-01390-5|pmid=32346150 |s2cid=155198626 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

As the governing body of civil space activities, China National Space Administration does not execute any space program. The [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] executes China's state space programs instead.<ref>{{Cite web|title=集团简介_中国航天科技集团有限公司|url=http://www.spacechina.com/n25/n142/n152/n164/index.html|access-date=2022-01-28|website=www.spacechina.com}}</ref>{{Request quotation|date=August 2022}} The [[China Manned Space Program]] is operated by [[China Manned Space Agency]], instead of the CNSA.<ref>{{Cite web|title=中国载人航天工程|url=http://www.cmse.gov.cn/gygc/zzgl/bgsld/|access-date=2022-01-28|website=www.cmse.gov.cn}}</ref>{{Request quotation|date=August 2022}}

== History ==
CNSA is an agency created in 1993 when the [[Ministry of Aerospace Industry]] was split into CNSA and the [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] (CASC). The former was to be responsible for policy, while the latter was to be responsible for execution. This arrangement proved somewhat unsatisfactory, as these two agencies were, in effect, one large agency, sharing both personnel and management.<ref name="CNSA Organization and Function">{{cite web|title=Organization and Function|url=http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/n620681/n771918/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228194440/http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/n620681/n771918/index.html|archive-date=28 February 2008|access-date=2008-03-09|publisher=China National Space Administration}}</ref>

As part of a massive restructuring in 1998, CASC was split into a number of smaller [[Government-owned corporation|state-owned companies]]. The intention appeared to have been to create a system similar to that characteristic of [[Western world|Western]] [[Defense industry|defense]] procurement in which entities which are government agencies, setting operational policy, would then contract out their operational requirements to entities which were government-owned, but not government-managed.<ref name="CNSA Organization and Function"/>

Since the passage of the [[Wolf Amendment]] in 2011, [[NASA]] has been forced by Congress to implement a long-standing exclusion policy with CNSA ever since, though this has been periodically overcome. 

In 2021, China began building the [[Tiangong space station]], which consists of three modules designated for crew, cargo, and research. The construction was completed in late 2022, and there are plans to add an additional three modules. 

In 2024, [[China]] announced that it will undertake 100 [[space missions]], a significant increase from the 70 missions conducted in 2023. This is mostly satellites, testing, crew replacement, cargo, and more.

== Function ==
CNSA was established as a government institution to develop and fulfill China's due international obligations, with the approval by the [[8th National People's Congress]] of China (NPC). The 9th NPC assigned CNSA as an internal structure of the [[Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense]] (COSTIND).
CNSA assumes the following main responsibilities: signing governmental agreements in the space area on behalf of organizations, inter-governmental scientific and technical exchanges; and also being in charge of the enforcement of national space policies and managing the national space science, technology and industry.

China has signed governmental space cooperation agreements with [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Chile]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[India]], [[Italy]], [[Pakistan]], [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]], the [[United Kingdom]], the [[United States]], and some other countries. Significant achievements{{which|date=July 2025}} have been scored in the bilateral and multilateral and technology exchanges and cooperation.<ref name="CNSA Organization and Function"/>

== Administrators ==
The most recent administrator is [[Zhang Kejian]]. [[Wu Yanhua]] is vice-administrator and [[Tian Yulong]] is secretary general.<ref name="CNSA Xu">{{cite web|title=Resume of Administrator |url=http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n360696/n361213/n361348/532714.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119200756/http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n360696/n361213/n361348/532714.html|archive-date=19 January 2014|access-date=20 April 2014|publisher=China National Space Administration}}</ref>
* April 1993: Liu Jiyuan
* April 1998: [[Luan Enjie]]
* 2004: [[Sun Laiyan]]
* July 2010: [[Chen Qiufa]]<ref>{{cite news|date=2015-05-08|title=Chénqiúfā Rèn Liáoníng Shěng Dài Shěng Zhǎng|script-title=zh:陈求发任辽宁省代省长|language=zh|trans-title=Chen Qiufa Appointed Acting Governor of Liaoning|newspaper=People's Daily|url=http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0508/c1001-26969808.html}}</ref>
* March 2013: [[Ma Xingrui]]<ref>{{cite web|date=2013-04-19|title=Dr. Ma Xingrui Was Appointed as Administrator of China National Space Administration |url=http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n360696/n361228/n361378/513487.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923205103/http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n360696/n361228/n361378/513487.html|archive-date=23 September 2015|publisher=China National Space Administration}}</ref>
* December 2013: [[Xu Dazhe]]<ref name="CNSA Xu"/>
* May 2017: [[Tang Dengjie]]
* May 2018: [[Zhang Kejian]]

== Departments ==
There are four departments under the CNSA:
* Department of General Planning
* Department of System Engineering
* Department of Science, Technology and Quality Control
* Department of Foreign Affairs

CNSA's logo is a similar design to that of [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shìjué Shìbié Xìtǒng |script-title=zh:视觉识别系统 |trans-title=Visual Identification System|url=http://www.spacechina.com/qywh_qysbxt_sjsbxt.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627025632/http://www.spacechina.com/qywh_qysbxt_sjsbxt.shtml|archive-date=27 June 2009 |access-date=2009-05-14|website=spacechina.com}}</ref> The arrow in the middle is similar to the Chinese character 人 which means 'human' or 'people', to state that humans are the center of all space exploration. The three concentric ellipses stand for three types of [[escape velocity]] (minimum speed needed to reach sustainable orbits, to escape the Earth system, and to escape the Solar System) which are milestones of space exploration. The second ring is drawn with a bold line, to state that China has passed the first stage of exploration (Earth system) and is undergoing the second stage exploration (within the Solar System). The 人 character stands above the three rings to emphasize humanity's capability to escape and explore. [[Olive branch]]es were added to state that China's space exploration is peaceful in nature.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}

== Launch facilities ==
*[[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center]]
*[[Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center]]
*[[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]]
*[[Wenchang Space Launch Site]]

<section begin=map />{{Location map+|China|width=300|float=right
 |alt=Map of China and its subdivisions with the locations of its spaceport facilities
 |caption=Location of China's spaceports
 |places=
{{Location map~|China|lat=40.5729 |long=100.1728|label=<small>[[Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center|Jiuquan]]</small>|position=left}}
{{Location map~|China|lat=38.8491 |long=111.608|label=<small>[[Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center|Taiyuan]]</small>|position=top}}
{{Location map~|China|lat=19.614354 |long=110.951057|label=<small>[[Wenchang Space Launch Site|Wenchang]]</small>|position=right}}
{{Location map~|China|lat=28.144566 |long=102.13560|label=<small>[[Xichang Satellite Launch Center|Xichang]]</small>|position=top}}
}}<section end=map />
{{clear}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|China|Rocketry|Spaceflight}}
* [[Chinese Lunar Exploration Program]]
* [[Planetary Exploration of China]]
* [[Tiangong space station]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=Note|refs=
<ref name=Note01>Includes both civilian and military space spending.</ref>
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}

* [https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/ Official website]

{{Chinese space program}}
{{Chinese spacecraft}}
{{Chinese space facilities and organizations}}
{{Public sector space agencies}}
{{Transport in China}}
{{State Council of the People's Republic of China}}{{Ministry of Industry and Information Technology}}{{Authority control}}

[[Category:China National Space Administration| ]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in China]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1993]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Beijing]]
[[Category:Space agencies]]
[[Category:Space program of China]]
[[Category:Government agencies of China]]
[[Category:State Council of China]]
[[Category:Haidian District]]
[[Category:1993 in Beijing]]