China's 4th satellite launch center to be built in Hainan

16:11, 29 October 2009

BEIJING. October 29. KAZINFORM. A new satellite launch center is now under construction near Wenchang in China's southernmost island province of Hainan. Once completed, it will be the country's fourth satellite launch centre and replace the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC) for geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and other space launch missions. Yang Yong has more; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

Covering 20 square kilometers, the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre will include a command centre, in addition to a rocket-launching site, rocket assembly plant, and a space-science theme park.

The most important part, the rocket-launching site, will be located in Longlou Town, a mountainous place 40 minutes from Wenchang. The launch tower is about 800 meters away from the seaside.

Wang Kangqiang, director of Hainan Space Program Service Bureau, says that Hainan was selected as China's fourth launch centre mainly for its geographical advantages.

Compared to the existing Xichang launch centre, a GEO satellite launched from Wenchang will be able to extend its service life by two or three years as a result of the fuel saved from the shorter maneuver from the transit orbit to GEO, Wang says.

China currently has three satellite launch 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; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.

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