Yang Yiqiang, commander-in-chief of the Long March-11 rockets project of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that 2018 would see five launches of Long March-11 rockets, with four missions for commercial payloads on land, and one at sea.
"The sea launch will meet the growing needs for launching near-equatorial and low-inclination satellites, and improve the rockets' adaptability," Yang said. "The solid-propellant Long March-11 rockets have strong quick-response ability with low prices, which provide better, competitive services in space commerce."
Launches in the equator region are more fuel-efficient. They cost less but demand a more stable rocket performance, which is affected by sea waves and high temperatures.
Wenchang, centered at 11 degree east longitude and 19 degrees north latitude, in south China's Hainan Province, is the only launch center near the sea. As for missions with an inclination of zero to five degrees, the sea launch will fill the gap.
China started developing modern carrier rockets in 1956, and the Long March rockets have become the main carriers for China's satellite launches.
Source: Xinhua News
| Buy Advertising | About Us | Editorial & Other Enquiries | Privacy statement |
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, is Copyright 1995-2026 Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principles for news reporting and research purposes. |
