China completed the construction of the first launch pad at the Hainan Commercial Launch Site on December 29, marking a crucial step in enhancing the country’s access to space.
China completed the construction of the first launch pad at the Hainan Commercial Launch Site on December 29, marking a crucial step in enhancing the country’s access to space. The newly established launch pad is poised to play a pivotal role in supporting national constellation projects and facilitating commercial launch plans.
This launch facility, the first of two planned at Hainan, is designed to accommodate liquid propellant launch vehicles, alleviating access bottlenecks for both national and commercial launch service providers. The strategic location is expected to expedite the launch of various constellations, enhancing China’s capabilities in deploying and maintaining space assets for civil and military purposes, including remote sensing and communications systems.
The completion of the new launch pads holds the potential to transition China away from older hypergolic rockets, addressing concerns about booster debris falling around inhabited areas following launches from inland spaceports like Jiuquan, Taiyuan, and Xichang.
The newly-completed Pad 1 is dedicated specifically to the Long March 8, a modern kerolox medium-lift rocket developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC). This move aligns with China’s plans to construct a 13,000-satellite low Earth orbit broadband megaconstellation, significantly impacting the country’s space capabilities.
China’s launch rate has experienced rapid growth in recent years, reaching 67 launches in 2023. The completion of the new launch pads is expected to further accelerate this momentum, facilitating both national and commercial space endeavors. A significant portion of the launches in recent years has been driven by commercial actors, marking a shift in China’s space landscape.
The Hainan Commercial Launch Site, located near the Wenchang spaceport, serves as China’s fifth launch site. It complements the country’s existing space infrastructure, including sea launch facilities on the coast of the Eastern province of Shandong.
Looking ahead, the first launch from the new pad is anticipated in the first half of 2024, featuring the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite as a prerequisite for the Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return mission.
Additionally, a second commercial launch pad is under construction and expected to be completed by May this year. This pad will host the “XLV” rocket developed by CASC’s Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, with potential applications for a wide range of launch vehicles from various manufacturers.
The new launch facilities are poised to not only enhance China’s space capabilities but also contribute to cost reduction, making satellite constellation deployment more economically feasible. With a focus on lowering costs and increasing launching capabilities, China is positioning itself for a dynamic era of space exploration and commercialization.