China’s Gravity-1 commercial carrier rocket lifted off from a mobile sea platform east of Shanghai on July 22, placing nine satellites into their designated orbits, according to the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and Xinhua.
The launch took place at 10:54 a.m. Beijing time. It marked Gravity-1’s first mission from the open sea and China’s first commercial sea-based launch in the East China Sea off the Yangtze River Delta.
A mobile launch model
Unlike a fixed launch site, a mobile maritime platform can be positioned for different mission requirements. Project officials said the flight further tested the rocket’s ability to operate in complex sea conditions and remain on standby for extended periods.
Gravity-1 was developed by Chinese commercial aerospace company OrienSpace. The medium-lift rocket can carry 6.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit and 4.2 tonnes to a 500-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit, giving it capacity for multi-satellite missions.
Nine satellites reach orbit
The payloads deployed on the July 22 flight are intended for uses including all-weather Earth observation, commercial industry services and technical testing, Xinhua reported.
The successful mission adds a new launch location to China’s expanding commercial space sector. It also demonstrates how sea platforms can give operators more flexibility in selecting launch points while serving growing demand for bundled satellite deployment.
Source: Xinhua report via China’s State Council Information Office.
