Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site Develops Rapidly with Multiple Launches Planned

TapTechNews June 30 news, according to Xinhua News Agency, Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site officially announced that it has the ability to execute launches. The launch site is now able to undertake rocket launch business and achieve commercial operation. In the second half of this year, the launch site will welcome its first rocket launch.

TapTechNews learned that the second launch pad of Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site started construction on October 30, 2022. It is the first medium-sized liquid rocket launch pad in China that adopts the three-horizontal test and launch mode of horizontal assembly, testing and transfer. With the maximum envelope of the core stage diameter of 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) of the rocket, it can meet the launch requirements of more than 10 types of rockets such as Long March, KuaiZhou and JieLong.

The second launch pad of Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site was announced to be completed on June 6 this year. Coupled with the first launch pad completed at the end of last year, Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site has completed the construction of 2 launch pads and initially has the ability to execute rocket launch tasks.

The Long March-8 modified and Long March-12 rockets developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will make their first flights at the two launch pads of Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site respectively this year. Among them, the Long March-8 modified rocket is led by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Its carrying capacity in the 700-kilometer (about 435 miles) sun-synchronous orbit reaches 7 metric tons and is planned to execute its first flight mission at the first launch pad.

The Long March-12 rocket is led by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It has a carrying capacity of no less than 10 metric tons in the low-Earth orbit and no less than 6 metric tons in the 700-kilometer (around 435 miles) sun-synchronous orbit and is planned to execute its first flight mission at the second launch pad.