China's Smart Dragon-3 Successfully Launches Satellites from Sea
Innovative sea-based launch marks China's first of 2025, highlighting maritime efficiency and technological advancement.
A notable advancement in China's aerospace capabilities unfolded as the Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket successfully launched from the sea near Haiyang, Shandong Province, marking a significant milestone on January 13, 2025. The offshore launch, conducted by Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, underscores China's burgeoning prowess in satellite deployment and space technology.
The SD-3 rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is engineered to optimize efficiency in low-inclination orbit missions.
Measuring 31 meters in length and possessing a substantial weight of 140 tonnes, the rocket lifted off precisely at 11 a.m. Beijing Time, ushering the CentiSpace 01 satellite group into its designated orbit.
This marked the first such low-inclination orbit launch from the Haiyang offshore waters, a strategic choice aimed at streamlining operations.
Liu Wei, deputy chief designer of the SD-3 rocket, emphasized the multiple benefits of such a sea-based launch strategy.
It not only enhances safety and reduces maritime navigation expenses but also contracts the technical preparation time, thus augmenting the mission's economic efficiency.
Additionally, the launch served to confirm the rocket's adaptability to harsh maritime conditions and strong winter winds, Liu noted.
Integral to Monday's launch were ten CentiSpace 01 satellites, tasked with space environment data acquisition and innovative intersatellite laser networking tests.
Notably, this mission marked the rocket's most substantial payload to date, demonstrating a carrying capacity of 1,600 kg.
The successful deployment underlines China's growing capabilities in accommodating heavier payloads in challenging conditions.
The SD-3 is part of the Dragon rocket family, a series that has become instrumental in addressing the rising market demand for launching small commercial satellites into low orbit.
Since its maiden flight in 2022, when it launched from the Yellow Sea, the SD-3 has complemented China's mainstay Long March rockets, carving a niche in the commercial satellite launch sector.
This launch represents China's first sea-based rocket mission in 2025 and contributes to Haiyang's record of 15 successful sea launch missions since 2019, collectively boosting 89 satellites into space.
Such achievements reflect China's commitment to advancing its space exploration agenda and fostering growth in its commercial satellite market.
The SD-3 rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is engineered to optimize efficiency in low-inclination orbit missions.
Measuring 31 meters in length and possessing a substantial weight of 140 tonnes, the rocket lifted off precisely at 11 a.m. Beijing Time, ushering the CentiSpace 01 satellite group into its designated orbit.
This marked the first such low-inclination orbit launch from the Haiyang offshore waters, a strategic choice aimed at streamlining operations.
Liu Wei, deputy chief designer of the SD-3 rocket, emphasized the multiple benefits of such a sea-based launch strategy.
It not only enhances safety and reduces maritime navigation expenses but also contracts the technical preparation time, thus augmenting the mission's economic efficiency.
Additionally, the launch served to confirm the rocket's adaptability to harsh maritime conditions and strong winter winds, Liu noted.
Integral to Monday's launch were ten CentiSpace 01 satellites, tasked with space environment data acquisition and innovative intersatellite laser networking tests.
Notably, this mission marked the rocket's most substantial payload to date, demonstrating a carrying capacity of 1,600 kg.
The successful deployment underlines China's growing capabilities in accommodating heavier payloads in challenging conditions.
The SD-3 is part of the Dragon rocket family, a series that has become instrumental in addressing the rising market demand for launching small commercial satellites into low orbit.
Since its maiden flight in 2022, when it launched from the Yellow Sea, the SD-3 has complemented China's mainstay Long March rockets, carving a niche in the commercial satellite launch sector.
This launch represents China's first sea-based rocket mission in 2025 and contributes to Haiyang's record of 15 successful sea launch missions since 2019, collectively boosting 89 satellites into space.
Such achievements reflect China's commitment to advancing its space exploration agenda and fostering growth in its commercial satellite market.
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