Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

China starts work on first commercial space launch site for 2024 delivery

China starts work on first commercial space launch site for 2024 delivery

Nascent sector likely to make each launch ‘really expensive’, and sharing launch pads would require firms to standardise technologies, source predicts
Work to build China’s first commercial space launch site has begun in the southern island province of Hainan.

Two launch pads will be ready for regular commercial use by 2024, offering more flexible, convenient launch services to space start-ups in the country, Chinese media reports earlier said.

Representatives from private companies including Landspace, iSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace were present at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.

China currently has four major satellite launch centres spread across the country, all state-owned and operated by the military.

The commercial centre comes amid a rapid growth in Chinese space activity in recent years. In 2021, China sent a total of 55 rockets into orbit, more than any other nation.

Building “commercial launch pads and launch sites to meet different commercial needs” is a priority for the next five years, according to a white paper on space activities released in January by the State Council – China’s cabinet.

However, nearly 90 per cent of the Chinese launches were government-backed, and carried out by its Long March rockets, whereas more than half of the US launches came from the private sector.

“The commercial space launch sector is still nascent in China, and there is already an oversupply of launch pads in China and in the world,” an April 2019 article in the Chinese journal Satellite & Network said.

The feature article questioned the need for China to build a commercial launch centre soon, citing challenges from technical readiness to the business model.

The private sector has also voiced doubts about the upcoming commercial site.

“I don’t think those pads are going to be cheap,” said a source who works for a commercial launch start-up based in Beijing.

“I’m not sure how many commercial launches will be planned each year, but that is likely to be a small number, so each launch is going to be really expensive,” he said.

Sharing one or two launch pads would also mean companies must standardise their technologies, said the source, who declined to be named.

The new site is jointly funded by the Hainan provincial government and three state-owned giants – the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and China Satellite Network Group Corporation.

It will be built next to the Wenchang space launch site, the newest and southernmost among the four state-owned spaceports. The others are the northern Jiuquan launch site in Inner Mongolia, Xichang in southwestern Sichuan province and Taiyuan in central Shanxi province.

The Wenchang site area is designed as a multifunctional space centre, according to the latest issue of Chinese National Geography magazine. Apart from the commercial launch site, the facility will feature a rocket recovery site and specialised pads for Long March rocket families 5, 7, and 8.

There will also be a launch pad reserved for manned missions to the moon, as well as a rocket assembly building, test facilities, and so on.

The biggest advantage of launching rockets from Wenchang lies in its low latitude, only 19 degrees north of the equator. This means rockets get a remarkable speed boost from the Earth’s rotation, thus saving a lot of fuel.

China also has plans to build commercial launch centres in Ningbo in Zhejiang and Haiyan in Shandong, both eastern provinces.

Private companies such as Landspace and CAS Space have also set up their own assembly facilities and launch pads at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×