The Decision-Making Process of China's Human Spaceflight Program

Abstract

This article thoroughly examines the decision-making processes involved in the revival of China's human spaceflight program and debates over whether China's space program should begin with the development of a human space capsule or space shuttle. The authors discuss high-level decision-makers’ attitudes toward human spaceflight, the Chinese government's emphasis on preliminary research on human space programs and achieving technological catch-up with other countries, debates over whether space shuttles or human spacecrafts should be prioritized, and the final decision-making process of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) regarding the implementation of the human space program. In the light of the development of space shuttles in the United States and the Soviet Union and the progress of multiple reusable space shuttles and spaceplanes projects in Europe, a considerable number of experts and involved institutions in China have suggested prioritizing the development of space shuttles. Considering China's current situation, time and cost factors, level of technological advancement, and the difficulty of the task, a final proposal for developing a disposable human space capsule was submitted by China's Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) and the Ministry of Space Industry. In 1992, the Central Committee officially approved a three-step strategy for China's human spaceflight program. In the subsequent long-term operation, the US space shuttle failed to meet the expected goals, such as cost-effectiveness, safety, and flexibility of use, which could justify China's decision to prioritize the development of human spaceflight.