China's journey to space: Long March launches

China celebrates its Space Day on April 24, the anniversary of the launch of its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, marking China's arrival into the space age. In 1970, a Long March-1 carrier rocket sent the Dongfanghong-1 into orbit. Over the past decades, the Long March rocket family has served as the main carrier for China's spacecraft launches and has fulfilled more than 500 flight missions, a testament to the country's independent capacity and strength in science and technology. It has also demonstrated the nation's confidence and willingness to build a community with a shared future in outer space.

(Data source: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation)