People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force

People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force
中国人民解放军军事航天部队
Founded19 April 2024; 2 years ago (2024-04-19)
Country China
Allegiance Chinese Communist Party
TypeSpace force
RoleSpace warfare
Size40,000 personnel
Part of People's Liberation Army
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Hao Weizhong [zh]
Political CommissarVacant
Insignia
Symbol
Flag
Sleeve Badge

The People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force (PLAASF, Chinese: 中国人民解放军军事航天部队, romanized: Zhōngguó rénmín jiěfàngjūn jūnshì hángtiān bùduì) is the space service branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the military forces of China. Established on 19 April 2024, it is one of two independent space forces in the world, along with the United States Space Force.

The PLAASF operates China's four spaceports: Jiuquan, Taiyuan, Wenchang, and Xichang, which launch all civilian and military payloads as well as China's crewed flights. Satellites are communicated with via ground centers in Beijing, Jiangyin, and Xi'an. The force commands China's Astronaut Corps and operates its Astronaut Center.

The PLAASF operates China's military satellites, an estimated 245 as of 2024. These include 115 reconnaissance satellites, 81 signals intelligence satellites, 45 for the BeiDou system of satellite navigation, 12 military communications satellites, and three early warning satellites for ballistic missile launches. China also operates the reusable experimental spacecraft which is a robotic spaceplane. China conducted one destructive anti-satellite weapon test in 2007, using an SC-19 missile.

The force operates Lop Nur Nuclear Test Base, the only nuclear test site of China's nuclear weapons program, and other research centers including for aerodynamics in Mianyang, for metrology and astronomy in Luoyang, and for telemetry in Beijing.

In 2024, the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force was separated into the Aerospace Force, as well as the Cyberspace Force and Information Support Force.

History

The PLA Aerospace Force was established on 19 April 2024, taking control of aerospace units and assets from the simultaneously disestablished Strategic Support Force. The PLAASF consolidates all the PLA's space-based C4ISR systems, as well as administering all the existing launch sites, and all other military satellites and space assets.

The China Daily referred to it as the People's Liberation Army Space Force before its official English name was released.

Organization

The PLAASF is headquartered in the Haidian District of Beijing.

Central staff sections include:

Subordinate Units

Launch Centers

  • Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (中国酒泉卫星发射中心), MUCD: unit 63600 (a.k.a. Dongfeng Base or Dongfeng Aerospace City). Located in Dongfeng Town in the Ejin Banner of the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, Jiuqian was one of the first aerospace launch facilities ever constructed in China. It is the main base for testing and launching the Long March series of rockets, as well as other missiles, various test satellites meant for low and medium orbits, application satellites, and crewed spacecraft. The base is also responsible for the main spacecraft recovery location.
  • Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (中国太原卫星发射中心): Stationed in Kelan County of Xinzhou City in Shanxi Province, the launch base was constructed in March 1967 under Project 3201 as a response to the breakdown of Sino-Soviet relations. The base was constructed deep in the mountains and deliberately misnamed as part of the Chinese strategy of "backing-up, concealment, and dispersion". The site mostly served as a nuclear missile site and as a detachment of Jiuqian until it was made an independent unit in January 1976. The launch center was opened to international commercial launches in the 1990s with its launch of two U.S. Iridium satellites into orbit.
  • Xichang Satellite Launch Center (西昌卫星发射中心) MUCD: Unit 63790. Headquartered on the Hangtian North Road of Xichang City in Sichuan Province. As of 2022 it also remotely controlled the Wenchang Aerospace Launch Site in Hainan Province.

Control Centers

Testing, Development, and Training Centers

  • Malan Nuclear Test Base (中国马兰核试验基地), MUCD: Unit 63650. Located at the western ends of Lop Nur and Nairenkeer Townships of Heshuo County in the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Base 21 served as the main nuclear launch and test site of the Chinese nuclear program. The Base has not conducted nuclear weapons testing since 1996.
  • Luoyang Electronic Equipment Test Center (中国洛阳电子装备试验中心), MUCD: unit 63880. Located at Luoyang in the Henan Province, Base 33 serves as the metrology and instrument measurement center of the PLAASF. It also conducts astronomical mapping and surveying. This base used to be one of the most restricted bases in China and was off limits to foreigners until the 1980s.
  • China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center (中国空气动力研究与发展中心) (CARDC). located in Mianyang City, Sichuan, it is the largest aerodynamic research center in China, specialized in hypersonic missile research.
  • Astronaut Center of China (中国航天员科研训练中心) aka ACC: located at the Beijing Aerospace City, it is the main training and research center for the Chinese space program's astronauts.
  • Astronaut Corps (中国人民解放军航天员大队): headquartered at Beijing Aerospace City, it is a directly subordinated military unit of the Aerospace Force. As of 2018 it had selected and trained 42 astronauts, and was in the process of training a third batch, which will include civilians.
  • Aerospace Research and Development Center (航天研发中心):
  • Project Design Research Center (工程设计研究所)
  • People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force's Aerospace Engineering University (中国人民解放军战略支援部队航天工程大学): not clear what the new name will be after the April 2024 reform.

Ranks

Officer ranks
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
PLA Aerospace Force
上将
Shàngjiàng		 中将
Zhōngjiàng		 少将
Shàojiàng		 大校
Dàxiào		 上校
Shàngxiào		 中校
Zhōngxiào		 少校
Shàoxiào		 上尉
Shàngwèi		 中尉
Zhōngwèi		 少尉
Shàowèi
Enlisted and NCO ranks
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
PLA Aerospace Force
一级军士长
Yījí jūnshìzhǎng		 二级军士长
Èrjí jūnshìzhǎng		 三级军士长
Sānjí jūnshìzhǎng		 四级军士长
Sìjí jūnshìzhǎng		 上士
Shàngshì		 中士
Zhōngshì		 下士
Xiàshì		 上等兵
Shàngděngbīng		 列兵
Lièbīng

Equipment

The PLAASF controls all of China's military satellites, as a well as the BeiDou satellite navigation system. This space force is estimated by the Military Balance 2024 to be around 245 satellites, plus perhaps some dual-use civilian satellites.

As is common in all countries with significant space forces, exact data on China's military satellites' functions is hard to come by. The generic "Yaogan" name is used for military satellites, and only sometimes is the actual military designation released (like the "Jianbing" series). Often, launches are disguised and receive civilian designators, at least for a period.

In counter-sat functions, while as of 2024 the PLAASF does control three possible ASAT satellites, it is unlikely it has command of the SC-19 anti-satellite missiles under the PLARF control.[citation needed]

Name of Class Chinese System Type Orbit Number in Service Notes
SatNav: 45 Satellites
BeiDou 2-M 北斗二号-M BDS-2 Navigation MEO 3
BeiDou 2-G 北斗二号-G BDS-2 Navigation GEO 5
BeiDou 2-IGSO 北斗二号-IGSO BDS-2 Navigation IGSO 7
BeiDou 3-M 北斗三号-M BDS-3 Navigation MEO 24
BeiDou 3-G 北斗三号-G BDS-3 Navigation GEO 3
BeiDou 3-I 北斗三号-I BDS-3 Navigation IGSO 3
Communications: 11 Satellites
Shentong 1 神通-1 MilCom MEO 2
Shentong 2 神通-2 MilCom MEO 4 Shentong 2-5 launched as SinoSat2E as a secrecy measure
Fenghuo 1 烽火-1 MilCom GEO 2 Launched as SinoSat 22/A as a secrecy measure
Fenghuo 2 烽火-2A/C/D/E MilCom GEO 4 Launched as SinoSat 1A/C/D/E as a secrecy measure
Meteorology/Oceanography: 8 Satellites
Yunhai-1 云海一号 YHS Atmospheric Observation SSO 2 Mixed military and civilian use
Yunhai-2 云海二号 YHS Atmospheric observation (GNSS-RO) SSO 6
Reconnaissance: 92 Satellites
Jianbing-5 (Yaogan-1) 尖兵五号 (遥感1号)

JB-5

 ISR -SAR LEO 2
Jianbing-6 (Yaogan-2) 尖兵六号（遥感2号）

JB-6

 ISR - IMINT LEO 4
Jianbing-7 (Yaogan-6) 尖兵七号（遥感6号） JB-7 ISR - IMINT LEO 4 Very high resolution
Jianbing-9 (Yaogan-8) 尖兵九号（遥感8号）

JB-9

 ISR - IMINT LEO 5 Medium resolution
Jianbing-10 尖兵十号/

JB-10

 ISR - IMINT LEO 3 Decimeter resolution
Jianbing-11/12 尖兵十一号/十二号


ISR - IMINT LEO 3
Jianbing-16 尖兵十六 LEO 3
LKW ISR - IMINT LEO 4 Optoelectronic
Tianhui-1/2 天绘一号/天绘二号 Cartography LEO 10 Stereoscopic Multispectral and Radar Imaging
Yaogan-29 遥感29号 Space Surveillance LEO 5
Yaogan-34 遥感34号 ISR - IMINT LEO 4 High resolution optical/radar
Yaogan-35 遥感35号 Space Surveillance LEO 15
Yaogan-36 遥感36号 ISR - IMINT LEO 15 Optoelectronic
Yaogan-39 遥感39号 LEO 12
Yaogan-40 遥感40号 LEO 3
ELINT/SIGINT: 81 Satellites
Chuangxing-5 (Yaogan-30) 创新五号(遥感30号) CX-5 ELINT LEO 30 Launched in triplets
Jianbing-8 尖兵八号 JB-8 ELINT LEO 15 Maritime Surveillance
Qianshao-3 前哨三号 SIGINT GEO 3 Part of TJS program
Shijian-6 实践六号 SJ-6 ELINT SSO 10 Launched in pairs
Shijian-11 实践十一号 SJ-11 Launch Warning SSO 7 IRST
Yaogan-31 遥感31号 ELINT LEO 12
Yaogan-32 遥感32号 ELINT LEO 4
Early Warning: 5 Satellites
Huoyan-1 火眼一号 HY-1 Early Warning GEO 5 Part of TJS program
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations: 3 Satellites
Shijian 17 实践十七号 Debris clean up GEO 1 Possible Countersat capabilities
Shijian 21 实践二十一号 GEO 1
Shijian 23 实践二十三号 GEO 1

Personnel

Commander

Political Commissar

References

  1. ↑ https://defensescoop.com/2026/02/22/space-force-role-iran-venezuela-raids-fueling-push-for-more-resources/
  2. 1 2 "Chinese PLA embraces a new system of services and arms: Defense spokesperson - China Military". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "The Military Balance 2025". IISS. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Xi Focus: Xi presents flag to PLA's information support force". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Xi Orders China's Biggest Military Reorganization Since 2015". Bloomberg News. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Chopra, Anil (8 March 2021). "People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force – A Comprehensive Look". Air Power Asia. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "President Xi unveils PLA's Information Support Force". Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  8. 1 2 "西安交大推人才培养重大改革 成立钱学森学院". 光明网. 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019.
  9. 1 2 陈怀国：〈用故事礼赞初心〉，《求是》2016年第16期
  10. ↑ 张光友，曹晔，段国韬，李宝庭，高磊. "一种氧化锌纳米材料及其制备方法与应用". Google Patents. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  11. ↑ ""天链"中继卫星管理控制中心设在北京_资讯_凤凰网". news.ifeng.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "战略支援部队航天系统部试验装备物资采购局采购评审结果公示". 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2024.，中国招标网，20201104112119
  13. ↑ 上海市拥军优属拥政爱民模范集体和个人名单（2011-2014） Deprecated link archived 2016-12-12 at archive.today，光明网，2016-07-29
  14. 1 2 3 "浙大举行皮星二号卫星任务总结会，浙江大学，2016-09-30". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Satellite Database | Union of Concerned Scientists". www.ucsusa.org. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 The International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS) (15 February 2024). "6 Asia". The Military Balance 2024. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-78004-7.