On Oct. 15, 2003, a Chang Zheng 2F lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in the Gobi Desert in China’s Gansu province. On top of the rocket was the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft carrying astronaut Yang Liwei. This mission had a special significance, as it was the beginning of the Chinese crewed space program and the first time China launched a human into space.
Since this day, 20 years have passed, in which China’s ambitions to be a player in the global space race only grew even more, with space stations launched, missions sent to Mars, and a crewed lunar program on the horizon.