Author Topic: Wenchang Space Launch Site [WSLS] | Hainan Commercial Spaceport [HCS]  (Read 142360 times)

Offline Satori

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China is going to build a 4th satellite launch center. See here: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-02/06/content_5705606.htm
« Last Edit: 04/15/2022 01:12 pm by Galactic Penguin SST »

Offline sammie

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Im still a bit sceptic about this, I know that plans to build a spacecentre at Hainan for quite some time, but I considered those plans shelved now that China is not competiting anymore in the commercial GTO market. Hainan is not the most hospitable climate and there are quite some minority issues that could delay things. But we'll see what happens...
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Offline quicker625

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I wish hainan will succeed~

Offline edkyle99

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sammie - 9/2/2007  10:44 AM

Im still a bit sceptic about this, I know that plans to build a spacecentre at Hainan for quite some time, but I considered those plans shelved now that China is not competiting anymore in the commercial GTO market. Hainan is not the most hospitable climate and there are quite some minority issues that could delay things. But we'll see what happens...

My guess is that Hainan could eventually replace XiChang.

China's GTO launchers are busy enough now launching that nation's own navsats, weathersats, comsats, etc. - and the launch rates are increasing.  XiChang has proven to be a risky place from which to conduct launches.  Some people believe that the world's worst space disaster happened there in 1996 when a Long March slammed into a populated village.  China officially reported that dozens of civilians were killed or injured in the accident, but payload personnel who saw the scene thought that the toll must have been higher.  



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Offline tappa

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More info here China plans fourth space launch centre  

Why does China need 4 space launch sites?


Offline Satori

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tappa - 24/9/2007  3:40 AM

More info here China plans fourth space launch centre  

Why does China need 4 space launch sites?


Some answers in this thread 'Hainan - Wenchang, the 4th chinese launch center'!

Offline annu

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This is a different querry.

Does anyone here knows where is the Chinese Ground station for downloading Remote Sensing data?
Anupama Upadhyay

Offline tappa

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Thanks Rui, sorry I missed the previous thread.

Offline kraisee

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The coastal location near the city of Wenchang offers the option to be able to launch either Easterly or Polar launches out into considerable bodies of water - this is a major benefit regarding safety in case of accidents.

The interesting question I'd like an answer to is *what* exactly are they planning to launch from there?   Existing launchers or something new?

Ross.
"The meek shall inherit the Earth -- the rest of us will go to the stars"
-Robert A. Heinlein

Offline MartianBase

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The island Hainan is nearer the equator, it would give payload boost and be better situated for geostationary launches.

Hainan is also where the US-spy plane incident took place and its monsoonal climate could become a problem for launches.

With over 1 Billion people one of China's big problems is over-population. With only a few million Hainan is one of China's least populated areas, so fallout from a failed launch will be much less of a problem.


Five launches have already taken place from this Hainan center, some analysts speculate China might be preparing the center for a future Heavy lift vehicle. Perhaps the first colonists on Mars will be speaking Chinese ?

Offline khallow

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I seem to recall that they were planning to launch the CZ-5 out of Wenchang. Ah, it was a Wikipedia blurb:

Quote
Furthermore, it will be capable of launching the new heavy lift CZ-5 booster currently under development. Rail tracks of inland Space Centers will not allow the delivery of the new 5 meters core boosters, which Wenchang will, as it is served by a sea port.

So Wikipedia says, so it must be.
Karl Hallowell

Offline Satori

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Offline edkyle99

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khallow - 14/10/2007  2:42 PM

I seem to recall that they were planning to launch the CZ-5 out of Wenchang. Ah, it was a Wikipedia blurb:

Quote
Furthermore, it will be capable of launching the new heavy lift CZ-5 booster currently under development. Rail tracks of inland Space Centers will not allow the delivery of the new 5 meters core boosters, which Wenchang will, as it is served by a sea port.

So Wikipedia says, so it must be.

Here it is from a more "official" source, Xinhua.

"The Long March 5 rockets will lift off from a new space launch center in Wenchang, in the southern island province of Hainan. The new center, the fourth in China, is expected to be completed in 2012 and formally put into use in 2013."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/31/content_6984931.htm

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Offline CFE

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I'm wondering about what trajectories are available for high-inclination launches out of Wenchang.  Ideally, you'd want to launch to the southwest, but that would take you over Southeast Asia (hmm, something sounds familiar about China dropping rockets over Vietnam.)  You've got a clear shot to the southeast, though.
"Black Zones" never stopped NASA from flying the shuttle.

Offline hesidu

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No, Vietnum is at southwest of Hainan,Wenchang. If Wenchang launch GTO or LEO satellites, it will shut to the southeast. So there will be no chance that the rockets will drop over Vietnam. For SSO satellites, they still will be launched in Taiyuan. Until now, there is no heavy SSO payloads for CZ-5.

Offline Satori

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Offline Satori

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Offline Jirka Dlouhy

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I think, that Hainan space launch center is necessary, because CZ-5 launchers are strongly heavier than f.e. CZ-3B. Using of this launchers from XiChang is very dangerous.

Offline Jirka Dlouhy

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CZ-5 Space Launch Vehicle

PROGRAMME

Designed and developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the ChangZheng-5 (CZ-5, or Long March-5) is China's next generation space launch vehicle family, which would include a range of classes of launch vehicles for different missions. The CZ-5 project was announced in February 2001, with the initial development officially begining in 2002. China hopes that the CZ-5 would fulfill the requirement for large paylaod LEO and GEO missions in the next 20~30 years, with the first versions of the vehicle going into service by 2008. Chief Designer for the CZ-5 is Long Lehao.

 
The CZ-5 family: ( From left to right) 2.25m diameter launch vehicle; 3.35m diameter launch vehicle (without and with strap-on stages); 5.0m diameter launch vehicle (without and with strap-on stages).

According to the reports, the CZ-5 family will include three primary modular core stages of 2.25 m, 3.35 m and 5.0 m diameter. Boosters of various capabilities would be assembled from three modular core stages and strap-on stages. These would be powered by 1,200 kN thrust LOX/Kerosene engines or 500 kN thrust LOX/LH2 engines.

The CZ-5 series can deliver 1.5 t~25 t payload to LEO, or 1.5 t~14 t payload to GEO. This would replace the CZ-2, CZ-3, and CZ-4 series in service, as well as providing the new capabilities which are not possessed by the current CZ family. The heaviest configuration of the CZ-5 with 5.0 m diameter core stage and four 3.35 m diameter strap-on boosters will be able to send 25 t payload to the low earth orbit, being comparable to the ESA's Ariane 5.


Offline Satori

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