Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center

The Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center is a mission control facility in Haidian that monitors and directs spacecraft operations in real time. It contains specialized control rooms where teams work with instruments and displays to track missions and communicate with astronauts in space.

The center was founded in 1996 to support China's Project 921 and played a central role in the country's first crewed spaceflight. It grew into a crucial hub for all subsequent missions, including space station operations and lunar exploration programs.

The center represents a key symbol of China's space achievements and demonstrates to visitors how contemporary spacecraft operations are managed from the ground. You can observe how teams coordinate their work to maintain connections with astronauts orbiting above.

The facility is located in Haidian District and is generally open to visitors, though access has security restrictions in some areas. It helps to ask in advance which parts of the complex can be toured and what the typical visit duration is.

The facility works closely with four tracking ships positioned across the world's oceans to maintain constant radio contact with spacecraft. These vessels form a critical network that allows the center to monitor missions even when they pass over remote regions.