China's Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3), a four-stage solid-propellant commercial carrier rocket, made its maiden flight on Friday afternoon, sending 14 satellites into orbit.
The rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), blasted off from the Yellow Sea at 14:35 Beijing Time.
Smart Dragon-3 in the assembly building before the launch mission. /CALT
With a carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes to the sun-synchronous orbit, it is deemed as a cost-efficient launch vehicle for sending satellites to form constellations.
The 31-meter-long rocket is propelled by an engine with a thrust of 200 tonnes. The diameter of its fairing can reach 3.35 meters, offering bigger space for the payloads, according to the CALT.
The SD-3 could be launched both at sea and on land. This time, it realized a "hot launch" at sea for the first time in China, which is when the rocket ignites directly on the pad, instead of igniting after being ejected to a high altitude.