LAUNCH SITES

Perhaps the most important and expensive infrastructural element of any space program is its launch site facilities. China has three launch sites, with a fourth in construction. The first, Jiuquan, was built in northern China for China’s first satellite, Dong Fang Hong, and is the base for the manned space program. The second, Xi Chang, was built in Sichuan in south-western China for launches to equatorial orbit. The third, Taiyuan, near Beijing, was built for launches to polar orbit. Construction has already started of a large launch site on Hainan, China’s largest and most southerly island. For the sake of completeness, one should mention a minor launch site for sounding rockets, Haikou, also on the island of Hainan. Details are given in Table 3.1.

Of the three main launch sites, the busiest is Xi Chang. Table 3.2 lists the total number of launches from each.