Guangdong (MidLand) – China on Saturday (3/2) sea-launched a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket that sent nine satellites into predetermined orbits.
The rocket was launched at 11:06 Beijing time or 10:46 WIB from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province. The offshore launch was carried out from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
“This is the third flight mission using the SD-3 rocket,” the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center said in a statement.
SD-3 is a solid-fuel carrier rocket developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and designed specifically for the commercial space market. The rocket is capable of taking off both on land and at sea.
Liu Wei, deputy chief designer of the SD-3 rocket, said the launch point for this mission was adjusted to a location closer to the coast, thus reducing wind and wave conditions compared to previous missions.
“The previous two flights of the rocket used 63 sensors per launch. Whereas the data obtained was sufficient, this launch used only 31 sensors, further reducing costs,” Liu added.
Liu said the NEXSAT-1 satellite, one of nine satellites on the rocket, was designed for a number of international customers.
Journalist: Xinhua
Editor: Ade Sister Junida
Copyright © MidLand 2024
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