China's first commercial aerospace launch site started. Why build a commercial aerospace launch site?

China ’s first commercial aerospace launch site started construction

[Global Times Reporter Fan Wei] The Global Times reporter learned from China Aerospace Construction Group Co., Ltd. on the 7th that on July 6, another aerospace launch site in my country -Hainan Commercial Aerospace Launnel Project held a opening ceremony in Wenchang. What is concerned about the outside world is that this is also my country's first commercial aerospace launch site to officially start construction. In the case of China that already has four space launch sites, why should we build a new commercial space launch site?

According to a reporter from the Global Times, commercial aerospace launch is compared to the launch of aerospace for scientific exploration. China's existing space launch site mainly undertakes the launch tasks of space exploration and scientific research. When arranging the launch plan, it will give priority to important scientific research and space exploration projects, and commercial aerospace launch is ranked secondary position, which makes the launch site a scarce resource in the field of commercial aerospace, which restricts industrial development to a certain extent.

At the same time, after China Aerospace has begun high -density launch in recent years, the four major space launch venues have entered a mode of full load operation. From time to time, some people call for increasing launch stations. In addition, due to cost considerations, small and medium -sized carrier rockets are usually selected, and the use of four space launch stations for large and medium -sized rockets is not appropriate.

However, the aerospace technology expert Huang Zhicheng said in an interview with the Global Times on the 7th that the current Chinese aerospace launch task is mainly concentrated in a large state-owned aerospace company. The annual launch tasks of Chinese private commercial aerospace companies are 1-2 times. Existing existing The aerospace launch field can still "digest" these tasks, so it is necessary to continue to observe how to position and develop commercial aerospace launches in the future.

Huang Zhicheng said, "In recent years, my country's commercial aerospace has developed rapidly. Some places have announced the plan to build a commercial aerospace launch site before. The commercial aerospace launch site is in Wenchang, Hainan. "He said that Hainan Province is the only free trade port in the country, and has already owned Wenchang Aerospace launches.

New aerospace launch site is more particular about the location

According to a reporter from the Global Times, many aerospace countries in the world choose to build a space launch site in low latitudes. For example, the Kennedy Aerospace Center in the United States is located at Merrut Island on the east coast of Florida, USA at 28 degrees north latitude. The Kuru launch site is also located in the Kuru area of ​​French Guyana, northern latitude at 5 degrees north latitude.

Huang Zhicheng introduced that there are several significant advantages in the construction of the space launch site in Wenchang. The first is that the geographical latitude of the launch site is about 19 degrees north latitude, which is very beneficial for space launch. Because the closer to the equator and the lower the latitude, the smaller the energy required by the rocket when launching a satellite, and the faster flight speed. Under the same conditions, if it is launched at the Wenchang launch site, the rocket's carrying capacity can be increased by about 7%-15%, thereby enhancing the effective load of the carrier rocket, and extending the service life of the spacecraft and improving economic benefits.

In addition, the construction of a commercial space launch site in Wenchang also has certain security advantages. Huang Zhicheng introduced that the rocket launched from Wenchang has a wide range and has high safety performance. Under normal circumstances, the rocket shooting between 90 degrees and 175 degrees can basically meet the launch needs of various aerospaces. In addition, most of the rockets are shot in the sea area, which can effectively avoid rockets and first -class wreckage landing areas endangering ground safety. "So the commercial aerospace launch site in Wenchang, Wenchang, is very geographical."

Guo Qiang, Executive Deputy Director of the Wenchang International Aerospace City Administration, also said that the construction of commercial aerospace launch sites in Hainan is high. Rockets at all levels are ocean, pollution without country, and shot to the area without the country. Recycling industry; Rockets launched in Hainan have a wide range of rockets and can emit satellites with a variety of different rail tilts to meet the diverse needs of customers.

In addition, according to a reporter from the Global Times, the rocket assembly testing plant and satellite assembly test plant in Wenchang and the coordinated center of the other place in Wenchang started construction in 2021, all of which will become an important infrastructure of the commercial aerospace industry.

Do I have to build a space launch site?

After starting a large -scale manned spacecraft "Star Ship" project, the American Space Exploration Technology Company (SpaceX Corporation) plans to build a rocket launch station separately in Florida. Earlier, the company also applied to the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) to build a private space center and rocket launching ground with an area of ​​27 hectares and a construction area of ​​more than 12,000 square meters in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Rocket Laboratory, headquarters in the United States and many businesses in New Zealand, has also built its own launch field in Voltos Island, Virginia, Virginia, USA. Why are commercial space companies popular to build their own launch fields? Is it only possible to meet the increasingly frequent launch needs by building its own launch field?

American SpaceX's launch site for the "Star Ship". (SpaceX company website)

Huang Zhicheng believes that the construction of its own launching field cannot be regarded as a inevitable. At present, when SpaceX's densely launching rockets such as "Falcon 9" is carried out at the Kennedy Space launches. The company's self -built launch site is mainly used to test new engines and "star boats" to prevent these aerospace projects from accidents that are not mature. The "electronic number" rocket of the Rocket Laboratory is a small rocket. The requirements for the launch venue are not high. It can be used as a place for launching. The construction of an exclusive launch site will help further reduce the company's cost. There are also opinions that maritime launch can alleviate the dilemma of insufficient commercial aerospace launch stations. China has previously carried out several maritime launch tasks, and a maritime launch field mother port has also been built in Haiyang, Shandong. This is considered a feasible commercial aerospace launch model. According to Huang Zhicheng, according to the relevant experience of Russia and the United States, the most ideal place for the maritime launch field is near the equator. At present, my country's maritime launch activities are relatively north. In addition, compared with the launch of the sea, the land launch site on the sea will have more advantages in terms of safety and reliability.

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