Space missions bring down-to-earth benefits

Private players

Not far from the Wenchang launch center, construction of a new space complex began in July, aiming to become China's first launch site dedicated to commercial missions.

The Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site is a joint venture of the Hainan government and three State-owned space conglomerates. It is expected to tap the increasing demand from private space enterprises for launch infrastructure.

"The existing government-run launch centers are well developed, but they are too busy to handle the increasing demands from the commercial space sector, and it is not uncommon that even a government-assigned mission would have to wait for arrangement at those sites," said Hu Shengyun, a senior rocket designer at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp.

By now, two private companies in Chinai-Space and Galactic Energy, both in Beijing－have succeeded in orbital missions, which refer to carrier rocket flights that transport spacecraft into an orbit in outer space.

The leader in the private rocket sphere, Galactic Energy, has performed three successful launches using its Ceres 1 solid-propellant rocket.

Xia Dongkun, a vice-president of Galactic Energy, said in August after the third Ceres 1 flight that three consecutive successes are enough to put an end to the rocket's trial phase, and the model is ready for commercial operations.

Engineers have begun making components for nine new Ceres 1 rockets. The company expects to conduct two or three launches before the end of the year, he said.

According to Xia, engineers at his company are developing the Pallas 1, a larger, liquid-propellant rocket model that can be reused.