Late last year the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite ever. Sputnik 1 succeeded in its mission and shocked the world. Who knew that capturing those German scientists would actually pay off? Well, China is not too far behind the USSR in terms of GDP, we only lack the technology to make a satellite, and, as such, it is time to put a real effort into it. Our current ballistic missile program has given us great experience in the fields of aerodynamics and flight control, we simply need something to fuel a larger vessel... or just a bigger rocket. Still all these ideas are nothing without a central authority on this new program. Project 581, Dongfanghong, The East Is Red.

The Chairman has declared that "We need to develop the artificial satellite too" in a January meeting with the Central Committee, and a rocket test site has begun construction in Xinjiang. Qian Xuesen, our beloved socialist scientist who realized the evils of American capitalism, will lead the project. The plan is to have an artificial satellite of our own to launch on the ten year anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the destruction of the fascist Kuomintang on December 18th, 1962. The scientists assigned to the project have started to develop a rocket engine named the Long March 1, which will carry a light satellite into orbit. The satellite must be able to transmit a signal, that signal being the great Chinese Communist song "The East is Red".

We need nothing but the basic technologies and our own revolutionary spirit... and some Soviet aid we hope.

((So this happened IRL but didn't work out as they had only one year to prepare, we have four years. In addition we have about 80% more GDP than China IRL, so hopefully we can get a satellite out. We'll see.))