Hey space enthusiasts! 🌟 Have you heard the exciting news from China? On Saturday night, China launched its brand-new Long March-12 rocket from the Hainan commercial space launch site. This wasn’t just any launch—it was the first time China used a commercial launch site for sending rockets into space! 🚀
The Hainan launch site was built super fast, in just 878 days. Imagine building something that important in less than three years! But with a new launch pad, a new rocket, and a new team, they faced big challenges. It’s like trying a new recipe with all new ingredients and tools—it can be tricky!
For this special launch, they used a remote firing control system. That means the commands to launch the rocket were sent from a control hall, and all the ground equipment was managed from a control building. Pretty high-tech, right?
The launch pad they used is really cool. It’s China’s first general-purpose medium-sized liquid launch pad, and it can handle nearly 20 different types of rockets! That’s like having a one-size-fits-all launcher for rockets between 3.35 to 5 meters in diameter.
They use something called a “three-flat” rapid processing approach. This means they assemble, test, and transport the rockets horizontally, making things faster and more efficient. Imagine building a LEGO set while it’s lying flat, then moving it to where you want it—it’s quicker and easier!
The best part? After a launch, the rocket transfer pad can be ready for the next launch in just three days and can be back to normal within seven days. Talk about speedy!
Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: the Long March-12 rocket. It’s China’s first 4-meter-diameter liquid-fueled launch vehicle. This mighty rocket is about 62 meters long—that’s taller than a 20-story building! It weighs around 430 tonnes, which is like the weight of about 70 elephants. 🐘
The Long March-12 is super powerful. It can carry at least 12 tonnes (that’s 12,000 kilograms) into low-earth orbit and at least 6 tonnes into a sun-synchronous orbit that’s 700 kilometers above Earth. This makes it China’s most powerful two-stage single-core rocket!
Plus, it’s really adaptable. It can use different sizes of satellite fairings (the nose cone part) and can launch single or multiple satellites into different orbits, depending on what’s needed.
This launch is a huge step for China’s space program, especially in the commercial sector. Who knows what they’ll achieve next? The sky isn’t the limit anymore—space is! 🌌
Reference(s):
China's first commercial launch site debut with maiden flight of LM 12
cgtn.com
