Logo of China's first commercial aerospace industrial base, namely "CAS Space Industrial Base." /China Media Group
China's first commercial aerospace industrial base, namely "CAS Space Industrial Base," has started operation in south China, with a targeted annual output capacity of 30 carrier rockets.
The base, which is mainly used for the production, testing and assembly of solid and liquid-fuel carrier rockets, covers an area of about 40 hectares in the Nansha district of Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province.
A view of a final assembly and testing factory of China's first commercial aerospace industrial base, namely "CAS Space Industrial Base," in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province. /Chinanews.com
Yang Yiqiang, chairman and CEO of the CAS Space Industrial Base, said the base has begun building up rocket structure manufacturing capabilities, which are planned to be initially completed by the end of 2023.
Construction of rocket avionics equipment assembly, special pump and valve manufacturing, and testing capabilities are also planned, Yang added.
At present, the final assembly and testing processes of Lijian-1 Y-2 carrier rocket are being carried out at the aerospace base, with the launch scheduled for May 2023 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Space capsule model on display at China's first commercial aerospace industrial base, namely "CAS Space Industrial Base," in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province. /China Media Group
China plans to carry out over 60 space launch missions this year, according to the country's major space contractors.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the main contractor for the Chinese space program, announced earlier this month that it plans more than 50 aerospace tasks in 2023.
Another state-owned space enterprise, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC), also plans 10 spaceflights using its Kuaizhou-1A and Kuaizhou-11 solid-propellant rockets.
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