🏠IT之家•Stalecollected in 5m
Wenchang Rocket Base Construction Begins for Long March 9
💡Major infrastructure project for China's Long March 9 heavy-lift rocket begins construction.
⚡ 30-Second TL;DR
What Changed
The facility is the first core supporting project for the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in the Hainan new area.
Why It Matters
This infrastructure development signifies a major step in heavy-lift aerospace capabilities, which indirectly supports the long-term scaling of space-based AI and satellite infrastructure.
What To Do Next
Monitor the progress of Long March 9 development if your work involves space-based data processing or satellite communication infrastructure.
Who should care:Enterprise & Security Teams
Key Points
- •The facility is the first core supporting project for the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in the Hainan new area.
- •The factory building features a height exceeding 100 meters and a maximum span of 74 meters to accommodate heavy-lift rockets.
- •The site is specifically designed for the assembly, testing, and reuse of the Long March 9 rocket.
- •The project is expected to play a critical role in China's 2030 goal for Long March 9 flight.
🧠 Deep Insight
Web-grounded analysis with 15 cited sources.
🔑 Enhanced Key Takeaways
- •The Wenchang Rocket Base, China's southernmost spaceport, was strategically chosen for its low latitude (19°N) to enhance launch efficiency by leveraging Earth's rotational speed and reducing propellant requirements for geosynchronous orbits, and uniquely facilitates rocket component deliveries via its seaport.
- •The Long March 9 has undergone significant design evolution, with recent iterations (as of 2022-2023) adopting a reusable, booster-less configuration similar to SpaceX's Starship, and transitioning to liquid oxygen/liquid methane engines for its first stage.
- •The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the primary developer, has been actively testing key engine components like the YF-79 (third stage, hydrogen-oxygen) and YF-90 (second stage, hydrogen-oxygen) since at least 2022, and successfully produced a 10-meter class propellant tank in 2023.
- •While the original article mentions a "2030 goal for Long March 9 flight," recent plans indicate the Long March 9's maiden flight is now anticipated around 2033, or even pushed to 2035, with China's 2030 manned moon landing mission now slated to use two Long March 10 rockets instead.
- •The Wenchang Space Launch Site, where this construction is taking place, had its overall construction completed by October 2014 and saw its first launch (Long March 7) in June 2016, already serving as a launch site for China's Long March 5, 7, 7A, 8, and 10 rockets.
📊 Competitor Analysis▸ Show
| Rocket Name | Country | Classification | LEO Payload Capacity (Reusable) | Reusability | First Flight (Target/Actual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long March 9 | China | Super Heavy-lift | 100-160 t | Partially (1st stage) | ~2033-2035 |
| Starship | USA (SpaceX) | Super Heavy-lift | 150 t | Fully | March 2024 (successful full stack) |
| Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 | USA (NASA) | Super Heavy-lift | 95 t | Expendable | November 2022 |
| Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2 | USA (NASA) | Super Heavy-lift | 130 t | Expendable | N/A (future) |
| New Glenn | USA (Blue Origin) | Heavy-lift | 45 t | Partially (1st stage) | N/A (in development) |
🛠️ Technical Deep Dive
- Height: 114 meters
- Diameter: 10.6 meters for first and second stages, with some designs showing a 7.5-meter third stage, and others a uniform 10.6 meters across all stages.
- Mass (Liftoff): 4,369,000 kg (9,632,000 lb)
- Stages: Primarily a 3-stage configuration, with a fully reusable 2-stage version projected for development in the 2040s.
- Propellants: Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Methane (CH4) for the first stage, and Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) for the upper stages (YF-79, YF-90 engines).
- Engines:
- First Stage: Up to 30 YF-215 methane/LOX engines (reusable design), or twenty-four 240-ton kerosene/LOX engines (earlier design).
- Second Stage: Two YF-215 (methane/LOX) or four 120-tonne hydrolox YF-90 engines.
- Third Stage: One YF-215 (methane/LOX) or four YF-79 expander cycle liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engines, each with 25-tonnes of thrust.
- Payload Capacity:
- Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 100-160 metric tons (reusable configuration), 150 metric tons (baseline).
- Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI): 35-54 metric tons.
- Trans-Mars Injection (TMI): 44 metric tons.
- Reusability: Planned for partial reusability with first-stage recovery via propulsive landing in initial flights, with a fully reusable 2-stage variant targeted for the 2040s.
- Materials: Development includes large-diameter stainless steel propellant tanks to enhance durability and reduce costs for reusable missions.
🔮 Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources
China will significantly advance its deep-space exploration capabilities.
The Long March 9's substantial payload capacity to TLI and TMI is crucial for planned crewed lunar landings, Mars exploration, and the construction of the International Lunar Research Station.
The Wenchang Rocket Base will become China's primary hub for super heavy-lift launches.
The new construction specifically for Long March 9, combined with Wenchang's existing infrastructure and geographical advantages, positions it as the central facility for China's most ambitious space missions.
China's space program will increasingly prioritize reusability and cost-efficiency in heavy-lift rockets.
The design evolution of Long March 9 towards reusability, methane/LOX engines, and the development of stainless steel tanks indicates a strategic shift to reduce space access costs and enhance competitiveness, mirroring global trends.
⏳ Timeline
2007-09
Wenchang Space Launch Center officially approved by State Council and Central Military Commission.
2014-10
Construction of the Wenchang Space Launch Center was completed.
2016
Early design concepts for the Long March 9 super heavy-lift rocket were proposed.
2021
The Chinese government formally approved the development of the Long March 9.
2022-01
Milestones for Long March 9 engine development, including YF-79 and YF-90, were announced, with YF-79 whole-of-machine testing scheduled for 2022.
2023-03
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) announced the production of a 10-meter class propellant tank for the Long March 9.
📎 Sources (15)
Factual claims are grounded in the sources below. Forward-looking analysis is AI-generated interpretation.
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Original source: IT之家 ↗