Chinese rocket contractor reveals plans for record-setting 40-plus launches in 2020

Carrier rocket Long March-5 Y3

China's biggest rocket contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) aims to complete more than 40 missions in 2020 including maiden flights for three rockets as well as lunar and Mars probe missions.

According to the official CASC WeChat public account on Thursday, China will usher in a "super 2020" in the space sector, aiming for 40-plus missions for the first time in history. 

The 2020 launches will include completion of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, phase 3 of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe mission and the launch of the country's first ever Mars probe. 

Long March-5B, a smaller variant of the Long March-5 and the strongest member of China's carrier rocket family will make its maiden flight in 2020. 

Also, Long March-7A, which could lift around 7 ton of payload into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and Long March-8, whose payload capability reaches 5 ton to Sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 700 kilometers, will also take their first flights in 2020, according to CASC.

CASC completed 27 launches in 2019, sending 66 spacecrafts into space.