Innovative Hainan: Commercial spaceflight industry set to 'take off'

Eighteen low Earth orbit satellites were launched aboard a Long March-8 Y6 carrier rocket from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province in the early hours of March 12.

The mission was the inaugural launch from the site's No. 1 launch pad, which, following the inaugural launch from the No. 2 pad on November 30, 2024, signifies the dual-pad readiness of China's first commercial spaceport for future missions.

Hainan has leveraged its free trade port policies and unique launch site resources to drive the development of its rocket, satellite and data industry chains, advancing its "space+" economy.

In 2022, China approved the construction of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site – the country's first – at Wenchang International Aerospace City. Construction commenced in July 2022 and the site achieved operational status with dual launch pads in just 32 months.

Lu Liangliang, an official from the Department of System Engineering of the China National Space Administration, noted that this milestone marks the completion of the site's first-phase capacity building, addressing a gap in China's commercial launch capabilities.

The second phase is under construction nearby, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. It will include a command and control center as well as two additional liquid rocket launch pads.

The launch site will add an annual capacity of 30 to 40 launches, bringing the total annual launch capacity to over 60.

A new engine for industrial development

Wenchang International Aerospace City, one of Hainan's key industrial zones, is focusing on building aerospace industry clusters around the rocket, satellite and data chains.  

According to Hainan Daily, by the end of October 2024 over 700 space-related enterprises and institutions had settled in the space city, forming a growing ecosystem led by key players such as the China National Space Administration.

In addition, 26 satellite industry enterprises signed agreements to join the space city at the opening ceremony of the Wenchang International Aviation & Aerospace Forum on December 2, 2024, with prominent commercial space companies like iSpace and Galactic Energy expanding their presence in the area.

In March, Hainan also launched its first Aerospace Application Technology Industry Academy, aiming to cultivate interdisciplinary talent through a focus on space, internationalization and artificial intelligence.