China is to build a new satellite launch center, the country's
fourth, in its southernmost island province of Hainan, said Luo Baoming, acting governor of
Hainan on Tuesday.
Luo, who is attending this year's session of Hainan Provincial
People's Congress, said the feasibility research for the center
started in 2002 and the long-awaited plan would be available
shortly. ?
China currently has three satellite launching centers located in Xichang
in southwest Sichuan Province, Jiuquan in northwest Gansu Province and Taiyuan in Shanxi Province which is in the north of the
country. ?
The site of the new launch center has been confirmed as
Wenchang. This is 60 km from provincial capital Haikou.
With an area of 20 sq km, the Wenchang Satellite Launching
Center will have a space theme scientific park, a rocket assembling
plant, a rocket launching base, and the command center.?
Hainan was selected because of its geographical advantages,
said?Long Lehaoan expert in carrier rocket and member of
Chinese Academy of Engineering.?
The lower the latitude of the launch location the greater the
centrifugal force is and a launch becomes less expensive. "Hainan
is China's closest site to the equator so much energy could be
saved if a satellite base is built there," said Long.
Wenchang is located at 110 degrees east longitude and 19 degrees
north latitude in northeastern Hainan. Due to the low latitude the
load efficiency of the rocket will be high, according to the
expert.
Long estimates the actual load efficiency will increase by 7.4
percent at the Wenchang base compared with the Xichang facility,
which is located at 27 degree north latitude. The new establishment
could add 300 kg more rocket load and save six million US dollars
in load expenses. The cost of rocket load is about US$20,000 per kg
in the world. ?
China's next-generation rocket is expected to be in service in
2010 and the Wenchang launch base is likely to be used for the new
carrier rockets, Long said. The new base wouldn't cause pollution
or harm the surrounding area due to use of environment-friendly
technologies, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2007)