China is beginning a campaign to launch 10 unmanned spacecraft this year, totally dominating Asia-Pacific space operations, where India and Japan will be lucky to launch one or two missions combined. The first two satellites in China's 2004 plan were launched Apr. 18 on board a 666,000-lb.-thrust Long March 2C fired from the Xichang launch site in Sichuan. The 10 spacecraft would double China's previous annual satellite/booster launch record, according to Zhang Qing-wei, general manager of China Aerospace Science & Technology Corp., the country's largest space company. He said China intends to maintain that basic pace through at least 2010 and "reflects our confidence in the quality of new Chinese spacecraft."
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