China is making progress on two new pads for commercial space launches from the island of Hainan.
Launch Pad Number 1 at Hainan International Commercial Space Launch Center was completed late last year, while progress on a second pad has entered the equipment-installation phase and will be completed by the end of May.
The first pad will support high-frequency launches of the Long March 8 rocket. The second is designed to facilitate the launches of 19 different rockets operated by nine companies.
“Both Launch Pad No. 1 and Launch Pad No. 2 have been meticulously designed to accommodate over 10 different types of rockets from nine manufacturers,” Bian Pengfei, project manager of Launch Pad 2, Hainan International Commercial Space Launch Co., Ltd., told China Central Television (CCTV).
“By maximizing the number of rocket launches, economies of scale can be achieved, leading to lower overall costs per launch. To optimize efficiency, both launch pads have been specifically designed to facilitate up to 16 launches per year, ensuring the maximum utilization of the facilities.”
The country aims to launch around 100 times this year, with commercial launch providers to account for around 30 of these. The new pads and rocket companies could play a part in China’s plans to launch its own megaconstellations, like Starlink, SpaceX’s giant satellite-internet network in low Earth orbit.