Twenty missions prepare to lift off in 2016

2016年我国宇航发射将首超20次

China will conduct more than 20 space missions this year, including a manned one and the maiden flights of two rockets, according to the nation’s major space contractor.

中国航空科技集团公司表示，今年中国宇航发射次数将首次突破20次，其中1项为载人航空任务，2架火箭首飞任务。

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp said it plans to launch the Tiangong 2 space laboratory and the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft and to test-fly the Long March 5 and Long March 7 rockets.

中国航天科技集团表示，将发射“天宫二号”空间实验室和“神州十一号”载人飞船，完成“长征五号”和“长征七号”运载火箭首飞任务。

China will also launch two satellites for the domestically developed Beidou Navigation Satellite System and the Gaofen 3 for the Gaofen High-Resolution Earth Observation System.

此外，中国也将完成两颗由国内自主研发的北斗卫星发射任务，即“北斗导航卫星系统”，高分专项将发射“高分三号”卫星，进一步完善中国高分辨率对地观测系统建设。

The company said in a statement on its website, "This year will see more than 20 space launches, the most missions in a single year."

该公司在其官网上发表声明，“中国年宇航发射次数将在2016年首次突破20次，是单年发射任务最多的一年。”

It added that the company will also launch a communications satellite for Belarus, marking the first time China has exported a communications satellite to Europe.

公司还补充道，将为白俄罗斯发射一款通信卫星，这是中国首次向欧洲出口的通信卫星。

China is scheduled to launch the Tiangong 2 space laboratory in the first half of the year to test life support and space rendezvous technologies for the country’s future space station.

中国计划在2016年前半年发射“天宫二号”空间实验室，为国家未来空间站的生命支持探测和空间交会技术。

After this, the Shenzhou XI spacecraft will be launched by a Long March 2F rocket to send astronauts to and dock with the space laboratory.

在此之后，神州十一号载人飞船将由长征2F火箭运载发射，将宇航员送入太空并实现与空间实验室对接。

The nation plans to launch the core module of its space station in 2018 to test related technologies and to research engineering issues. The station will become fully operational in about 2022, according to government sources.

中国计划在2018年发射空间站核心模块，以测试有关技术及研究相关工程问题。根据政府消息来源，在2022年左右该空间站将开始全面运作。

With these ambitious space projects proceeding well, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp is finalizing the development of the next-generation carrier rockets.

随着这些项目的顺利进行，中国航天科技集团正在进行新一代运载火箭的最终研发工作。

The company’s China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is carrying out final tests on the Long March 5, the heaviest and most technologically challenging member of the nation’s rocket family.

公司中国运载火箭技术研究院正在展开长征五号的最后测试工作，长征五号是国家火箭家族中最有份量、最具科研挑战的运载火箭。

To accommodate the frequent space missions, the academy has increased its annual manufacturing capacity from a maximum of eight rockets to up to 20 and has substantially reduced the time required to develop each new rocket.

为适应频繁的太空任务，该研究院增加了年生产能力，从每年最多生产8架火箭增加到每年20架，并已大幅减少每架火箭开发所需时间。