Throughout the whole 1980s, the PRC’s space programme was mainly focused on the development of application satellites for scientific experiments, communications, and meteorology. At the same time, the space industry experienced a period of painful struggle as the state would not make further investment. As a result, various space academies and factories were forced to support themselves by developing civilian technologies such as TVs, fridges, motorbikes, cars, etc. for the commercial market.
By the mid-1980s, countries around the world all began to reveal their ambitious space programmes. The United States had its space shuttle system, strategic defence initiative (“Star Wars”) and space station Freedom. The Soviet Union had its Mir space station and Buran space shuttle system. Europe was developing the Hermes space shuttle, and Japan was developing its own manned spacecraft Hope. Feeling the pressure, the PRC leadership decided to restart the preliminary studies on manned spaceflight and other space projects so that the country was not falling behind.
Under the suggestion of four top Chinese scientists, in October 1986 the PRC initiated the Hi-Tech Research and Development Programme (also known as 863 Programme), a long-term initiative to transform PRC’s hi-tech in eight strategic industries: automation, biotechnology, energy, information technology, lasers, new materials, and space technology. Under the 863 Plan, two committees manned by top PRC scientists and experts in the space industry were set up to assess the feasibility of a manned space programme. One committee was tasked with the study on the heavy-lift space launch vehicle and the space-earth ferry transportation system under the Project 863-204, while the other committee was tasked with the study on a manned space station under the Project 863-205.
In April 1987, the Project 863-204 committee launched a bid for the initial concept of the heavy-lift space launch vehicle and space-earth ferry transportation system, with over 60 research institutes and academies taking part in. Among eleven concept proposals submitted to the committee, six were chosen for further evaluation.
Manned capsule-type non-reusable spacecraft proposed by the 508 Institute of CAST was based on Soviet Union’s Soyuz. This proposal was the least expensive and most feasible in term of technology among the six proposals, and would build a solid foundation for space shuttle and space station.
The model of the capsule-type manned spacecraft proposed by the 508 Institute (Source: Chinese Internet)
The Tianjiao 1 space shuttle was proposed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle (CALT). The system was based on the U.S. space shuttle design, but is one-sixth of the latter in size. Like the space shuttle system, Tianjiao 1 was to be launched into the space by a rocket and return to the Earth by gliding in the atmosphere.
The Changcheng 1 (Changcheng = “Great Wall”) space shuttle proposed jointly by Shanghai Space Bureau (now SAST) and 604 Aircraft Design Institute is another space shuttle design roughly the same size as the U.S. space shuttle. The system was also to be launched by a rocket, but carries its own main engine for flight within the atmosphere.
Artist impression of the Changcheng 1 space shuttle (Source: Chinese Internet)
The V-2 rocket-propelled spaceplane proposed by the Beijing-based 11th Institute of the Ministry of Aeronautics was a fully reusable system. The ambitious design proposal included a rocket booster and a rocket-propelled orbitor, both of which are fully reusable. The system takes off vertically and lands horizontally.
The H-2 aerospace plane proposed by the 601 Aircraft Design Institute was the most ambitious among the six proposals. The system included a first-stage and a second-stage orbitor, both of which are winged and fully reusable. Powered by jet engines, both stages of the system could take off and land horizontally like an ordinary plane.
A mini space shuttle based on the European Hermes was proposed by the 611 Aircraft Design Institute. It was the least ambitious among the space shuttle designs, but was also the quickest and most efficient. The project could benefit from the Hermes technology through international cooperation.
By 1988, the capsule-type spacecraft proposed by CAST and the ChangCheng 1 space shuttle proposed by SAST made to the final round of the evaluation. In the next two years, a series of debate were carried out over the final choice between the two designs. Although there were strong advocates within the space industry for the space shuttle design, it was later concluded that the country did not have the aerodynamic technology or financial strength to support the expensive and complex space shuttle. This conclusion was backed by Dr Qian Xuesen.
Nevertheless, the manned spaceflight remained pure theoretical evaluation within the space industry in the 1980s. In 1984, the U.S. President Reagan offered to fly a Chinese astronaut on the space shuttle, but the Chinese were not interested. Chinese state media reported n September 1986 that the astronaut training and research was still ongoing, but manned spaceflight was still considered unaffordable.
