China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC), one of China's backbones in national defense science, will make breakthroughs in key technology development in the field of moon probe, manned space flight and high-resolution Earth observation system in the 11th Five-year Plan Period (2006-2010), according to Rui Xiaowu, vice president of the CASTC.

According to Rui, CASTC will improve its innovation ability to promote the modernization process of the national defense and sustainable development in space technologies by building innovation-incentive system, developing core technologies and cultivating more talents.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan, CASTC will focus on the construction of research centers in important fields and transform parts of its key technologies into China's first-class, world renowned ones.

CASTC will also put more efforts on development of core software, materials, component, advanced propellers and the standard system.

In the past five years, CASTC achieved 129 landmark results in 61 key technologies. It also made a big stride in manned space flight and new generation carrier rocket technology, said Rui Xiaowu.

So far, China has independently developed its own strategic and tactical missiles. About 70 homemade and 28 foreign satellites have been launched by the Long March rockets. Some satellites have been exported to Nigeria and Venezuela.

By People's Daily Online