China's commercial aerospace sector builds full industrial chain

At 10:25 p.m. (Beijing Time), Nov. 30, a Long March-12 carrier rocket blasted off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Dongjiao township, Wenchang, south China's Hainan province, and sent two experimental satellites into their planned orbits. The launch mission achieved complete success at 10:48 p.m., according to Hainan provincial authorities.

This mission marked the first launch mission undertaken by the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site, which is the first to be built for commercial missions in China.

"The successful maiden launch marked a groundbreaking achievement in China's first commercial spacecraft launch site. It completes the whole industrial chain that covers satellite and rocket manufacturing, testing and launch services of commercial spacecraft launch sites, and satellite applications," said Guo Qiang, a board member of Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., Ltd. (HICAL).

On Nov. 30, a Long March-12 carrier rocket carrying two experimental satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site, south China's Hainan province. (Photo from the media center of Wenchang)

With an area of more than 2,500 mu (about 166.67 hectares), the launch site is located about 3 kilometers away from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, which is China's first open seaside spacecraft launch site that covers over 10,000 mu.

Since the 1950s, China has successively established satellite launch centers in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu province, in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi province, and in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan province. In response to the demands for higher rocket carrying capacity and fewer launch costs, the Wenchang Space Launch Site was completed in 2014 and held its first launch in 2016.

The rapid development of satellite launch sites leads to rising market demands. According to the 2023 blue book on China's aerospace science and technology environment, China managed to complete 26 commercial launches in 2023, accounting for 39 percent of all launches that year.

In June 2022, Hainan officially proposed the construction of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. At the same time, HICAL was set up to accelerate this process. The construction commenced just a month later, with two launch pads for liquid propellant rockets.

In December 2023, the No. 1 pad was completed, designated for the Long March-8, China's new-generation medium-lift carrier rocket. The No. 2 pad was completed in June 2024, which is capable of launching multiple types of rockets with various diameters from commercial rocket companies. Each pad has an annual capacity of 16 launches.

Not far from the launch site lies the satellite-rocket industrial park of the Wenchang International Aerospace City. There, construction is in full swing with vehicles and towering cranes bustling about. A super satellite manufacturing factory that consists of several buildings is about to complete roofing.

"The factory will be able to produce satellites in a way similar to how cars are manufactured on an assembly line," said Wang Shicheng, who has spent over 20 years in the field of aerospace. Wang now works for a satellite company and is involved in the factory's construction.

Photo shows a view of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan province. (Photo provided by the Wenchang International Aerospace City)

"Commercial aerospace encompasses rocket and satellite development, satellite operations and applications, as well as the manufacturing and servicing of ground equipment. The key aspect of 'commercial' is to follow market-driven principles," explained Yang Tianliang, HICAL's chairman of the board.

Yang stressed the need to reduce costs and increase efficiency across the entire industrial chain, from construction and production to launch and operation, because this is essential to attracting more enterprises to the sector.

"The high launch frequency of the site allows rocket developers to gather more telemetry data and will accelerate the upgrading of China's rocket technology," said Ma Lei, deputy general manager of Hainan Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd.

Ma revealed that the company's rocket assembly and testing facility is under rapid construction, with plans for the newly-developed Tianlong-3 large liquid-propellant carrier rocket to make its maiden flight soon from the No. 2 launch pad.

It's not just Hainan Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd. that stands to benefit. The No. 2 launch pad features a universally adaptable launch platform that can meet the needs of over 10 rocket companies and at least 19 rocket models, covering the majority of China's mainstream commercial rockets.

"We will continue to enhance our innovation capabilities and provide businesses with sound launch conditions and operational environment," said Shou Junming, HICAL's assistant general manager.

He noted that while providing solid support for rocket companies, HICAL has made significant strides in innovation and has already applied for 22 patents.