China to launch three satellites in 2004: official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 01, 2004

China to launch three satellites in 2004: official

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China plans to launch three satellites in 2004, while starting its lunar landing program and working for technological breakthroughs in space docking and walking, a senior space official said here Wednesday.

Sun Laiyan, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said the three satellites included the second of the country's "Double Star Program", a bid to probe the space environment, a meteorological satellite, and a commercial communications satellite.

The total investment in space projects for 2004 is estimated at 2 billion yuan (about 243 million US dollars), the official said.

He explained that the figure did not include the money the government will use to pay space sector employees.

China and Brazil would work on two more resources satellites, and a multi-purpose small satellite to be launched in 2005 and 2006, he added.

The small satellite mainly for scientific research and disastermonitoring was a project between China, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Iran, Bangladesh and other Asian countries, Sun said.

China has launched without a hitch six satellites and a manned spacecraft in 2003.

Source: Xinhua

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