Its major contribution to China's civilian and military launch capability has been the manufacture of the Long March family of rockets.[5][6] CALT has over 33,000 employees.[6] The current Chief Designer is Long Lehao (龙乐豪).[7]
CALT is also planning two spaceplanes. They would both be single-stage to space sub-orbitalrocketplanes. One would be a 10-ton 4-passenger plane that would fly to 100 km at Mach 6. The other would be a 100-ton 20-passenger plane that would fly to 130 km at Mach 8. They would be equipped with liquid methane/liquid oxygen rocket engines. The larger spaceplane would also be able to carry a strap-on space rocket, making it function as the first stage of a two-stage to orbit space launch platform. That rocket would launch above the Karman line, and lift 1–2 tons to LEO.[8]
In August 2020, the United States Department of Defense released the names of “Communist Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States. CALT was included on the list.[6][11]
In November 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting U.S. companies and individuals owning shares in companies, including CALT, that the U.S. Department of Defense has listed as having links to the People's Liberation Army.[12][13]
^Lin, Jeffrey; Singer, P.W. (July 19, 2018). "China's super-sized space plans may involve help from Russia". Popular Science. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. With this size and lift, China's Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) Chief Designer Long Lehao announced that the Long March 9 will be capable of lifting 140 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), 50 tons to Earth-Moon transfer orbit, and 44 tons to Earth-Mars transfer orbit (140 tons is right between the projected lifts of NASA's Space Launch System (130 tons) and SpaceX's 150 ton BFR).
CN¥103.795 billion (2020)[3]
