Hey space enthusiasts 🚀! Oriental Spaceport in Haiyang, Yantai (east mainland China’s Shandong Province) is getting its first offshore liquid rocket test platform ready. The new pad finishes construction by early February, with commissioning and rehearsal tests kicking off around Feb 5.
Right around Spring Festival (mid-February), a domestically developed commercial liquid-fueled rocket will blast off and splash down at sea—China’s first ever offshore launch-and-recovery test of a liquid rocket. 🎉
Why’s this a big deal? Unlike solid rockets (which are quick to launch but can’t be reused), liquid-fueled rockets pack more payload and can land back safely after launch. That means lower costs for deploying satellite constellations—think tagging your phone to more precise mapping or boosting internet coverage across Asia.
Last year, Oriental Spaceport handled 22 offshore solid-rocket flights and has sent 137 satellites into space so far. This new liquid test marks a shift toward greener, reusable space tech. It also comes on the heels of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), which, for the first time, highlights accelerating the building of a space power as a national priority.
With this test, mainland China steps up its game in the global space arena. Our region—from South Asia to Southeast Asia—is watching closely as reusable rockets set the stage for more affordable, widespread satellite services. Stay tuned for liftoff! 🌏✨
Reference(s):
China's first offshore liquid rocket test platform to begin operations
cgtn.com
