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China's space programme
ChinaScience

Lift-off for China’s pocket Jielong 3 rocket launches another busy year of commercial missions

  • China Rocket sends nine satellites into orbit, propelled by a competitive business model
  • Carmaker Geely also launches 11 satellites to expand navigation for autonomous vehicles

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A Jielong 3 rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong province, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua
Reuters

A small but powerful Chinese rocket capable of sending payloads at competitive costs delivered nine satellites into orbit on Saturday, Chinese state media reported, in what is gearing up to be another busy year for Chinese commercial launches.

The Jielong 3, or Smart Dragon 3, blasted off from a floating barge off the coast of Yangjiang in southern Guangdong province. It was the third launch of the rocket, developed by China Rocket, a commercial offshoot of a state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer, since December 2022.

President Xi Jinping has called for the expansion of strategic industries including the commercial space sector, deemed key to building constellations of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation.

Also on Saturday, Chinese carmaker Geely Holding Group launched 11 satellites to boost its capacity to provide more accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles.

Critical to the construction of commercial satellite networks is China’s ability to open more launch windows, expand rocket types to accommodate different payload sizes, lower launch costs, and increase the number of launch sites such as building more spaceports and using sea launch vessels.

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The Jielong 3 can carry a 1,500kg (3,300-pound) payload into a 500km (310-mile) sun-synchronous orbit. China Rocket has previously said the rocket could carry more than 20 satellites at a launch cost of under US$10,000 per kilogram – a globally competitive rate for small-lift rockets.

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