Founded in 1958, JSLC is the oldest of China's four spaceports. Like most Chinese launch facilities, it is located in a remote area and is generally closed to foreign visitors. The launch center is part of Dongfeng Space City (), also known as
Base 10 () or the
Dongfeng base (). The broader Dongfeng site includes test-flight facilities for the
People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), a space museum, and a martyrs' cemetery (). JSLC is used for launching spacecraft into low- and medium-Earth orbits with high inclination, as well as for testing medium- and long-range
missiles. Its facilities include the technical center, launch complexes, launch control center, mission command center, and associated logistical systems. The center covers about 2,800 km2 and reportedly houses up to 20,000 personnel. Many of its systems and equipment were likely modelled on Soviet designs, and the
Soviet Union probably provided early technical assistance. JSLC was expanded during China's
Third Front campaign to develop defense-related industry in inland regions in anticipation of potential conflict with the Soviet Union or the United States. The site has supported many major Chinese space milestones, including the launch of China's first
satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970, and the first
crewed space mission Shenzhou 5 in 2003. As of 2021, all Chinese crewed launches—including missions to the
Tiangong space station—have originated from Jiuquan. In August 2016, China launched the first quantum-communication satellite,
Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, from JSLC. In August 2018, Chinese commercial rocket companies
i-Space and
OneSpace conducted
sub-orbital launches from the center. On 25 July 2019,
I-Space carried out the first successful Chinese private orbital launch from Jiuquan using the Hyperbola-1 rocket. == Launch pads ==