China launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan on Monday to send a group of internet satellites into space, just five days following the launch of a Long March-8A rocket from the same site.
The Long March-12 launch mission was performed on the No. 2 launch pad of the commercial spacecraft launch site at 18:21 local time (1021 GMT) on Monday,while the launch of the Long March-8A was made on the No. 1 pad in this site on July 30.
The dual launches meant that the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site is capable of realizing dual-pad launches on the country's commercial spaceport just five days apart.
The back-to-back launches from dual pads within a short timeframe further validate the site's capability for high-frequency launch operations.
After the completion of the launch on July 30, staff members quickly switched their focus to supporting the following mission. By July 31, the Long March-12 rocket had already been transported to the launch site.
"Since the initial design phase, we have targeted high-frequency launches. In designing the routing for gas supply lines and the control system, we have taken into consideration the requirement for rapid inter-model switching. For instance, after completing a launch from the No.1 pad, it only takes about two to three days to switch the launch configuration onto the No. 2 pad," said Yang Tianliang, president of the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center.
Yang said that although the launch site was designed for high-frequency operations, conducting two launches just five days apart was still a first for them, posting numerous challenges that had to be overcome.
"There are significant differences between the two pads. For example, the No.1 pad uses liquid hydrogen, while the No. 2 pad does not. Since these two types of propellants cannot be mixed, we have to thoroughly clean the gas supply lines to ensure no residual traces of the other propellant remained," Yang said.
As China's first commercial spacecraft launch site, the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site commenced construction in July 2022. Its two operational pads completed their maiden launches on November 30, 2024, and March 12, 2025, respectively.
It is reported that two additional pads are currently under construction at the site. Once completed, the facility will adopt a configuration with two phases and four pads, further enhancing its ability to meet the growing demand for high-frequency, high-capacity, and low-cost launch services.
China's commercial spaceport achieves dual-pad launches within five days
