The
space program of the People's Republic of China is directed by the
China National Space Administration (CNSA). Its technological roots can be traced back to the late 1950s, when
the People's Republic began a ballistic missile program in response to perceived
American (and, later,
Soviet) threats. However, the first Chinese
crewed space program only began several decades later, when an accelerated program of technological development culminated in
Yang Liwei's successful 2003 flight aboard
Shenzhou 5. This achievement made China the third country to independently send humans into space. Plans currently include a permanent
Chinese space station in 2020 and crewed expeditions to the
Moon.