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Stephen Chen

China’s latest Long March rocket arrived on the launch pad on Wednesday morning on Hainan island three days before the ­scheduled maiden mission of both the rocket and the site.
This launch will be different from others carried out by China because the public will be able to view it in person for the first time.
Eight designated viewing areas covering 40 hectares have been chosen around the ­Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre, including public parks and a private hotel beach, and can ­accommodate about 25,000 ­spectators.

China Central Television ­(CCTV) revealed the launch window of the Long March 7 would be open until Wednesday if Saturday’s weather turned bad, which is not uncommon on tropical Hainan.
CCTV said the 600-tonne rocket began the three-hour rail journey of several kilometres from the ­assembly complex to the launch site.
China’s second space lab to go into orbit this year as part of permanent manned space station by 2022
It will be carrying a test model of China’s next-generation manned spacecraft, together with several small satellites. The rocket’s future role will be to deliver supplies to China’s planned space station.
“The launch will open a new chapter in the history of Chinese space exploration,” a space scientist involved in the development of the new Long March rockets said.
“The blast of flames, rise of vapour, the chest-pounding noise and the trembling of the ground under people’s feet ... it will be a life-changing experience for many people.”

Wenchang is one of four space launch centres in China. The ­Jiuquan satellite launch centre is located in the heart of the Gobi desert, while Xichang is hidden away in the remote mountains of Sichuan.
The site at Taiyuan, in ­Shanxi, remains closed to the public for most of its launches ­owing to military operations.
Mainland space scientists had first proposed setting up a space launch centre in Hainan decades ago. Because the island lies closer to the equator, it can save fuel consumption by more than 10 per cent compared with the other launch sites.
It is also convenient because the large rocket components can be transported easily by ship from China’s rocket manufacturing centre in Tianjin to Hainan, while rocket debris will fall into the ocean instead of over populated inland areas.
However, the government ­delayed the plan because of fears that Hainan could be an easy target for a foreign invasion.
The island’s tropical weather, which includes frequent ­typhoons, and technical concerns over humidity and salt erosion added to the authorities’ ­concerns.
The Wenchang satellite launch centre will play a critical role in many of China’s future space activities, such as the building of a space station, which is due to be completed in about 2020.


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China’s newest space rocket, Long March 7, ready for blast-off

China’s new Long March 7 rocket, which is due to be launched on Saturday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

新华社照片，文昌（海南），2016年6月22日
    长征七号垂直转运至发射区 计划6月25日至29日择机发射
    6月22日，长征七号运载火箭在垂直转运过程中。
    当日，承载着长征七号运载火箭与搭载载荷组合体的活动发射平台，从海南文昌航天发射场的垂直总装测试厂房驶出，平稳行驶约3小时后，安全转运至发射塔架。从中国载人航天工程办公室获悉，长征七号运载火箭计划6月25日至29日择机发射，执行首次飞行试验任务。
    新华社记者 曾涛 摄

(160616) -- WENCHANG, June 16, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on June 14, 2016 shows a newly-opened coffee bar in Longlou Township of Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. China's fourth space launch center, the Wenchang satellite launch center in Longlou, is preparing for its maiden launch mission in late June. Launching-related infrastructure construction, key investment projects and service works have been completed on the whole. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)(mcg)

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Public will be allowed for the first time to watch the lift-off from viewing areas around Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on Hainan


.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Update | China’s newest space rocket, Long March 7, ready for blast-off

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Public will be allowed for the first time to watch the lift-off from viewing areas around Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on Hainan

Update | China’s newest space rocket, Long March 7, ready for blast-off

Public will be allowed for the first time to watch the lift-off from viewing areas around Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on Hainan