Chinanews, Beijing, Feb. 15 – Hainan provincial government will work with the central government to prepare for the construction of a new satellite launching center in Hainan. The center is expected to be completed and put to use in 2010, according to a report by CCTV international channel.

 

Luo Baoming, acting governor of Hainan Province, disclosed the above information when attending the fifth session of the third Hainan provincial congress of the Communist Party of China.

 

The new launching center, Wenchang Satellite Launching Center, will be located at the Hainan Aerospace City, which will cover an area of 20 square kilometers, sources said. It will include a satellite launching center, an aerospace theme park, a rocket assembling plant and a control center.

 

“In 2002, a team of top-level Chinese experts discussed about the construction of a satellite launch center in Hainan and its possible location. In 2005, the experts decided to build the launching center in Wenchang, ” said Xie Mingzhong, Wenchang municipal Communist Party Secretary.

 

As to when the satellite launching center will be put to use, authorities say that the new aerospace center will be used to send Changzheng-5 rocket carrier into space. Long Lehao, a Chinese expert on rocket carrier, said the Changzheng-5 rocket carrier was expected to be ready by 2010. Based on this information, it could be said that the new aerospace center will be put to use in 2010.

 

China now has three satellite launching centers, Jiuquan, Xichang, and Taiyuan. All of them are located in the hinterland. Due to their geographical limitations, the diameter of the rockets transported to these satellite centers should not be more than 3.35 meters. However, a satellite launching center built in coastal areas will not be constrained by this limitation. Since Hainan Province is located in subtropical areas with low altitudes, its geographical location will raise the successful launching rate. In addition, the South China Sea around Hainan Province has become a best location to handle rocket debris.