Hey fam! 🚀 On Tuesday at 3:48 a.m., a Smart Dragon-3 rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center blasted off from a sea platform near Rizhao City in Shandong Province. This was the Chinese mainland’s latest flex in space tech!
The rocket carried 11 Geely-05 constellation satellites owned by GeeSpace, a Geely Technology Group subsidiary. These tiny but mighty birds will join a fleet of 72 satellites by 2025, aimed at offering global IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity – think remote sensors, shipping trackers, and smarter disaster alerts, even in off-grid spots 🌏📡.
So what’s cool about Smart Dragon-3? Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, it’s a four-stage, solid-fuel booster built for sun-synchronous and low Earth orbits. It can haul up to 1.5 tonnes to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, and this launch marked its seventh mission 🔥.
Why launch from the sea? Maritime platforms give more launch windows, flexible angles, and extra safety away from crowded areas. Basically, it’s the future of space ops – agile, efficient, and, yep, super Insta-worthy 😉.
Whether you’re geeking out over space or dreaming of next-level connectivity, these 11 satellites are set to power up global IoT networks. Stay tuned for more cosmic updates! 🌌
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
