China on Saturday successfully launched a new carrier rocket into space from its first commercial spacecraft launch site, further enhancing the country's space launch capabilities.
The Long March-12 carrier rocket blasted off at 22:25 (Beijing Time) from the No. 2 launch pad of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, successfully sending two experimental satellites into their planned orbits.
The launch mission achieved complete success at 22:48, according to Hainan provincial authorities.
It took 878 days from the start of construction to the first launch at the Hainan commercial launch site, and the new Long March-12 carrier rocket has achieved breakthroughs in several key technologies.
"Achieving success on the first launch is incredibly exciting. The two years of hard work have truly paid off," said one of the spectators.
The rocket launch also marks the inaugural mission from the commercial launch facility, further expanding the nation's space launch capabilities.
"Our achievements over the past two years have been validated. What we have accomplished is a success, and it proves that our team is highly capable," said Yang Tianliang, chairman of Hainan International Commercial Space Launch Co., Ltd., builder of the launch site.
In response to a media question about whether the commercial launch site lays an important foundation for the future development of the commercial spaceflight, Yang said, "Yes, I believe that this new mechanism will definitely deliver greater benefits."
Many involved in the launch mission have shown their confidence in more successful missions in the future.
"Success means that our entire commercial model is a success. It also means that this rocket can now officially be put into use. Many new technologies, materials, and processes were explored during the development of this rocket," said Mao Chengdong, a staff member with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
"The launch mission is indeed a new breakthrough. It is more concise, more reliable, and it has opened up a new commercial spaceflight model for our country," said Long Lehao, an academician with Chinese Academy of Engineering and also principal consultant of Long March rockets at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. "All of us have had a strong faith from the first launch. We built this launch site in just two years, and then completed the inaugural launch. In the future, there will be many more launch missions, and we will strive for even more successes," said Cao Guobin, director of Wenchang Launch Support and Scheduling Office.
Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Long March-12 carrier rocket is currently the country's largest single-core carrier rocket in payload capacity. It features a two-stage configuration propelled by six liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, with a length of about 62 meters and a diameter of 3.8 meters.
The rocket is designed with a carrying capacity of no less than 12 tonnes in low Earth orbit and no less than six tonnes in 700-km sun-synchronous orbit.
Construction work on the Hainan commercial space launch site commenced in July 2022, and it is now the country's first launch site dedicated to commercial missions.
The site currently features two launch pads for liquid-propellant rockets. The No. 1 pad is designed for the Long March-8, China's new-generation medium-lift carrier rocket, while the No. 2 pad can accommodate multiple rocket types with varying diameters from commercial rocket companies. Each pad has an annual launch capacity of 16 launches.
Saturday's launch was the 548th flight mission of the Long March rocket series.
Success of first mission from commercial site further enhances China's space launch capabilities
