China starts work on first commercial space launch site, to be ready by 2024
- Representatives from private firms attend groundbreaking ceremony which comes amid rapid growth in Chinese space activity
- Nascent sector likely to make each launch ‘really expensive’, and sharing launch pads would require firms to standardise technologies, source predicts
Two launch pads will be ready for regular commercial use by 2024, offering more flexible, convenient launch services to space start-ups in the country, Chinese media reports earlier said.
Representatives from private companies including Landspace, iSpace, and Deep Blue Aerospace were present at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.
China currently has four major satellite launch centres spread across the country, all state-owned and operated by the military.
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