China starts building first maritime spaceport

China has begun to build its first maritime spaceport for rocket launches in its eastern province of Shandong to better serve its space exploration programs in the future.

The spaceport in Haiyang City, Shandong Province, will not only be suitable for rocket launches but also will be a base for space industrial cluster that includes space research and development and manufacturing.

It will become a base that produces solid propellant rockets as well as a technical center to prepare rockets and satellites to be launched.

“This is the starting area of the spaceport and a final assembly site for solid propellant launch vehicles. At present, the whole plot covers an area of 3,000 mu (200 hectares). Once completed, it will be able to produce 20 solid propellant launch vehicles per year. Our plan is that, by the end of next year, the entire starting area will be fully functional,” said Gao Zhongqian, deputy mayor of Haiyang.

So far, there are four launch sites in China, namely Jiuquan, Taiyuan and Xichang and Wenchang. The launch vehicles usually have to be hauled a long way to the these sites before launch.

The new spaceport will improve the efficiency of space launches as rockets will be manufactured, assembled and launched at the port.

Jin Xin, deputy chief commander of Long March-11 rocket of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said the port will further improve China’s ability to launch different rockets on the sea.

“As we improve the infrastructure and technical capabilities of the port, we will be able to launch all types of rockets, including rockets that consume solid and liquid propellants. We will launch rockets more frequently in the future,” said Jin.

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