1958 - Chairman Mao Zedong declares China to develop atomic bombs, missiles and satellites.
1959 - China launches its first rocket.
1970 - China launches its first satellite aboard the Long March rocket which orbits Earth blasting the Cultural Revolution anthem, "The East is Red".
1992 - Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin calls for China to launch a manned spacecraft.
1995 - The Chinese-designed Long March 2E rocket carrying a telecommunications satellite explodes after blast-off from Xichang in the southwestern province of Sichuan, killing a family of six.
February 1996 - A rocket carrying an Intelsat 708 communications satellite explodes soon after take-off from China's launch site in Xichang.
August 1996 - A Long March rocket places a $120 million Chinese satellite in the wrong orbit, leaving it drifting hopelessly in space.
December 1996 - Two Chinese astronauts start training at Russia's Star City Space Centre.
1999 - China launches first unmanned spacecraft "Shenzhou", or "Divine Ship", in the northwestern province of Gansu and joins the world's exclusive space club. It touches down safely in the northern region of Inner Mongolia after 21 hours in space and orbiting Earth 14 times.
2001 - China launches Shenzhou II in Gansu. Carrying a monkey, a dog, a rabbit and snails, it returns safely to Earth in Inner Mongolia seven days later after 108 orbits.
March 2002 - Shenzhou III takes off carrying dummy astronauts and life simulation and monitoring devices. It touches down successfully in Inner Mongolia after orbiting Earth 108 times.
May 2002 - China in final stages of grooming 14 fighter pilots as candidates for the country's first astronauts. They average about 30 years old, stand about 1.7 metres (5' 7") high and weigh in at about 50 kg (110 lb).
December 2002 - China's fourth unmanned spacecraft blasts off from Gansu. After circling the planet 108 times, Shenzhou IV lands safely in Inner Mongolia on January 5, 2003. It successfully performs several hundred operations in space, including unfolding solar panels. The space capsule tests life support systems.
October 15-17, 2003 - China's first manned spaceship, Shenzhou V, is due to blast off from the Gobi desert and orbit Earth 14 times.
Chronology of China's space program.
Space