China has begun the work for its first commercial spacecraft launch site at Wenchang in the southern island province of Hainan.
There is already a state-owned launch center in Hainan called the Wenchang Space Launch Center, which is the fourth launch site in China. The other three are the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center which was the country’s earliest base and where most launches and tests have been conducted to date, Taiyuan Launch Centre which is ideal for launching solar-synchronous satellites and Xichang Satellite Launch Center which is designed mainly to launch powerful thrust rockets and geostationary satellites.
In China, a commercial space center refers to a site invested in and built by an entity other than the Government or Military. Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site program is a joint venture of the Hainan government and three space conglomerates－China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, and China Satellite Network Group.
The work on the commercial launch site will be done by an affiliate of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The estimated time for completion is one year and the site will be operational from 2024. The new launch site which covers an approximate area of 133 hectares, will have a launch pad, water spraying systems, lightning protection towers, hoisting equipment, transition transportation equipment, diversion devices, a fixed service tower, and more.
Feng Fei, the provincial governor, of Wenchang said that Hainan will make full use of the new launch site to establish an entire space industry chain covering carrier rockets, satellites, and data processing businesses. He further added that the aim was to transform Wenchange into a world-class spaceport.
The Wenchang Launch Center is China’s southernmost launch site and is chosen for its low latitude and closeness to the equator.
If a spacecraft is launched from a site near the Equator, then it gets a natural speed boost caused due to Earth’s rotation, which in turn helps to reduce the cost of fuel and boosters. An optimal launch site needs to be at a coastal area near the equator as it maximizes the use of the earth’s rotational speed and gives an advantage of orientation that helps to arrive quickly at the geostationary orbit.
Major Spacecraft Launch sites like Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg, and Sriharikota are all located near the coast.
China’s Space Industry ranks second in the world just after the US. China National Space Administration (CNSA) has overseen the development of China’s space program which has launched ballistic missiles, artificial satellites, manned space flights, and the famous Tiangong Space station. The ambition of this Asian giant does not stop here as it plans to explore the entire solar system.
With the development of a commercial launch site, China is now stepping into the commercial space era along with the US.
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