A historic space launch mission took place early Wednesday morning from the South China Sea. A Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket, lifting off at 3:24 am from a launch service ship, successfully deployed a space-based internet technology demonstration satellite into its designated orbit. This marks the first-ever space launch ever conducted in the South China Sea.
The satellite, named CX-19, was designed and built by the Shanghai-based Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Smart Dragon 3, a solid-propellant carrier rocket, made its maiden flight from a ship in the Yellow Sea just last year, successfully placing 14 satellites into orbit.
This innovative rocket stands 31 meters tall and boasts a diameter of 2.65 meters, capable of handling a liftoff weight of 140 metric tons. Its powerful thrust is generated by a high-performance, solid-propellant engine containing 71 tons of propellant and producing a force of 200 tons. This impressive capability allows the Smart Dragon 3 to send multiple satellites with a combined weight of 1.5 tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.
According to Jin Xin, the project manager of the Smart Dragon 3, this new rocket is particularly suited for clients aiming to quickly launch large constellations of satellites for establishing space-based commercial networks.
Prior to this historic launch, China had already conducted six sea-based launches: four by the Long March 11 rocket, one by the Smart Dragon 3 itself, and one by the Ceres 1 rocket developed by the Beijing-based private company Galactic Energy. Notably, all of these previous sea-based launches took place in the Yellow Sea.
With the successful launch of the Smart Dragon 3 from the South China Sea, China has demonstrated its growing capability in space exploration and launch technology. This achievement opens up new possibilities for future missions and underscores China’s commitment to becoming a leading player in the global space industry.
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