China has begun construction of a new launch pad designed for commercial solid-state rockets to facilitate access to the launchers. The new solid-state rocket site and related infrastructure for the power supply, testing and other facilities are expected to be completed within 180 days, the space industry’s official publication China Space News reported on June 14.

The new project is part of Hainan’s larger commercial launch pad with two sites currently under construction. One will be dedicated to Kerolox launch vehicles and the other to metal launch vehicles. The first launch of the liquid rocket from a commercial spaceport is expected in early 2024.

The third facility will provide a growing range of solid propellant launch vehicles with larger parameters and launch capabilities amid China’s apparent growing demand for launch capabilities.

The new launch pad, together with the naval launch facilities established in Haiyan on the coast of eastern China’s Shandong province, will provide commercial companies with new opportunities to launch solid-state rockets. The new solid propellant rockets and launchers will give China greater launch and redundancy flexibility overall.

Hainan’s new commercial launch pad is a joint venture between the Hainan provincial government, China’s main space contractor CASC and its subsidiary, state-owned space and defense giant CASIC, and the state-owned China Satnet tasked with overseeing the construction of China’s planned mega launchpad. -constellation.

State-owned and related subsidiaries CASC, CASIC, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as commercial and private companies, including iSpace, Galactic Energy, and Orienspace, are involved in the launch and development of solid-fuel launch vehicles. Hainan’s commercial launch pad is located near the coastal Wenchang Space Port, which opened in 2014 and hosts the launch of China’s new large liquid kerosene-powered rockets.

The coastal location offers new opportunities for transportation, while the size of missiles delivered to China’s inland launch sites is limited by the country’s rail network. Wenchang’s position at 19 degrees latitude also offers advantages in terms of lower fuel requirements for launch into some orbits.

The Wenchang Spaceport and internal facilities in Jiuquan, Taiyuan, and Xichang are operated by the People’s Liberation Army with priority given to government and military missions. Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert now hosts the vast majority of commercial launches, with new additional facilities for solid and cryogenic rockets. Hainan’s new launch facilities are designed to provide greater and more flexible access to launchers for commercial launches.

It is also expected to allow the newer Kerolox Long March 8 medium-lift rocket to increase the launch frequency. It uses the same pad as the Long March 7, which is currently used to launch the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft at the Wenchang National Space Base, and the Long March 7A to launch the GTO, so its launch capabilities are limited.

The CASC Long March 8 mass production plan is linked to China’s plans to launch a mega-constellation of 13,000 satellites. Hainan’s commercial launch pad is part of a plan to establish the island as a commercial space hub. It aims to attract space startups engaged in rocketry, satellite production and data applications, as well as seeking to participate in international cooperation.