Fourth space launch site ready in Hainan in 2015
Source: Xinhua |
March 4, 2013, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S fourth launch center, in the tropical island province of Hainan, will be ready for space launches in two years, a space program official said.
The center, under construction since 2009, will be able to launch space station capsules and cargo ships, said Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space program. The carrier rockets to be used at the Hainan center include Long March-7 and Long March-5.
Construction of the Hainan Space Launch Center, with lowest latitude among the four, started in September 2009 in Wenchang City, on the province's northeast coast.
The center will be mainly for launching synchronous satellites, heavy satellites, large space stations, and deep space probes. It is designed for up to 10-12 launches a year.
China's three bases include the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the desert of the northwestern Gansu Province, the nation's only manned spacecraft launch center; the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province, which can launch satellites into both medium and low orbits; and the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, mainly for powerful-thrust rockets and geostationary satellites in the southwest's Sichuan Province. They have seen over 100 launches.
Long Lehao of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said rockets to be launched from Wenchang would consume less fuel to get into orbit because of its location.
"A satellite launched from Wenchang will be able to extend its service life by three years as a result of the fuel saved from the shorter maneuver ... to geosynchronous orbit," Long said.
The center, under construction since 2009, will be able to launch space station capsules and cargo ships, said Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space program. The carrier rockets to be used at the Hainan center include Long March-7 and Long March-5.
Construction of the Hainan Space Launch Center, with lowest latitude among the four, started in September 2009 in Wenchang City, on the province's northeast coast.
The center will be mainly for launching synchronous satellites, heavy satellites, large space stations, and deep space probes. It is designed for up to 10-12 launches a year.
China's three bases include the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the desert of the northwestern Gansu Province, the nation's only manned spacecraft launch center; the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province, which can launch satellites into both medium and low orbits; and the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, mainly for powerful-thrust rockets and geostationary satellites in the southwest's Sichuan Province. They have seen over 100 launches.
Long Lehao of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said rockets to be launched from Wenchang would consume less fuel to get into orbit because of its location.
"A satellite launched from Wenchang will be able to extend its service life by three years as a result of the fuel saved from the shorter maneuver ... to geosynchronous orbit," Long said.
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