April 12 marks the International Day of Human Space Flight.

Spaceflight seemed like a distant dream for China six decades ago. However, China's aerospace industry has advanced by leaps and bounds from scratch during the past 60 years, from Dong Fang Hong 1 mission to Shenzhou-13 space mission, from Chang'e-1 lunar orbiter to Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission, and from Tiangong-1 single-module space station to core module Tianhe, all of them witnessing China's growth and making the flying dream of the Chinese nation for thousands of years become a reality. According to the Blue Book of China Aerospace Science and Technology Activities (2021), 55 launch missions were completed as of 2021, with 117 spacecraft sent into space, making China rank first and second respectively in the world, with a total mass of payloads of 191.19 tonnes. China made a record in terms of both the number of launches and the weight of payloads. At the Qinghai Yuzhu Peak Test Base at an altitude of 4,800 m, the UAV plateau test team encounters heavy snowfall as the temperature drops by 10–15°C. The team respond calmly, launching the emergency plan as planned, to complete the flight test successfully. 

At the Qinghai Yuzhu Peak Test Base at an altitude of 4,800 m, the UAV plateau test team encounters heavy snowfall as the temperature drops by 10–15°C. The team respond calmly, launching the emergency plan as planned, to complete the flight test successfully. [Photo courtesy of the 9th Department of China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology]