China is building a special ship from which launch vehicles will be made
As it became known from local sources, China is already assembling a specialized ship designed to carry out sea launches of space launch vehicles. According to calculations, the vessel will be ready for operation next year.
What is known about the floating Chinese cosmodrome
It is known that the ship will be 165.5 meters long and 40 meters wide, and its place of registration will be near the new ground-based cosmodrome in Shandong province.
At the same time, the vessel will be equipped with the equipment necessary to support the launches of such launch vehicles as Long March 11, Smart Dragon (Zelong-1), as well as other liquid-fueled vehicles. In addition, it is noted that in the future they plan to use this platform as a landing platform for return stages (just like that of SpaceX).
At the moment, at least two launches of Long March 11 solid-propellant missiles have been made in China using sea barges located in the Yellow Sea, which made it possible for China to become only the third country after Russia and the United States to successfully carry out space launches from floating platforms.
Why does China need such a platform?
According to experts, the commissioning of a special naval vessel for launching carrier rockets will unload four the main cosmodrome of the Celestial Empire, after all, as of the current date, 41 successful launches have been made (which is a new national record China).
So the new launch pad will help China in the implementation of space programs, as it will provide variability during launches and will allow a more flexible approach to the choice of the optimal trajectory for the launch of objects to the near-earth orbit.
In addition, the floating platform will allow China to carry out launches closer to the equator, and this will significantly save on fuel by using more efficiently the energy from the Earth's rotation.
Well, China's space program has already developed quite successfully and quickly, and the new floating launch pad will only accelerate this process. We will follow the successes of the Celestial Empire. Well, if you liked the material, then appreciate it and do not forget to subscribe to the channel. Thank you for your attention!