By Agency Report
China has launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the southern island province of Hainan Thursday, sending a batch of internet satellites into space.
The rocket lifted off at 8:32am from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The payloads, the 25th group of low-orbit internet satellites, entered the designated orbit successfully.
The launch marked the world’s first mobile sea-based launch of a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation for the deployment of a broadband internet network.
It is a project to deploy a global low-Earth orbit satellite system to provide high-speed internet access and one Enhanced Ultra High Throughput, EUHT, technology test satellite to their intended orbits.
The flight set two new Chinese records for a single sea-based launch: the payload mass exceeded 3 tonnes, and the injection altitude reached 800 kilometres.
This confirmed that the sea-based launch method is fully suitable for medium- and large-sized satellite payloads.
Gravity-1 is a solid-fuelled rocket with a maximum payload capacity of 6.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit.
This was its second mobile launch from the Far East, taking place just 56 days after the previous mission.
The rocket once again demonstrated its ability to operate in maritime conditions characterised by high temperatures, humidity and salt fog.
This was the first launch dedicated entirely to a mega-constellation of low-Earth-orbit internet satellites.
Development of the Gravity-2, a large reusable liquid-fuelled rocket, is also gathering pace.
It is expected to provide a payload capacity of 21.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit and is set to make its debut shortly.
TV BRICS/NAN
