From Sea to Stars: China's First Sea-based Spaceport

From Sea to Stars: China's First Sea-based Spaceport—Home of Orienspace

On the shores of the Yellow Sea stands China's first rocket launch vessel—the very own "starship" setting sail toward the cosmos. Since 2019, it has launched Long March 11, Gravity-1, Ceres-1 and more.

Orienspace, a private Chinese rocket manufacturer, successfully launches their 30-meter-tall Gravity 1 Y2 commercial carrier rocket with four solid-rocket boosters (SRBs) off the coast of Haiyang in east China's Shandong Province from this sea-based space port. Gravity 1 is currently the world's largest and most powerful commercial solid-propellant rocket that produces 600 tonnes of thrust at liftoff. With a liftoff weight of 405 metric tons and a thrust of 600 tons, the rocket can carry a spacecraft weighing up to 6.5 tons to a low-Earth orbit, or 4.2 tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers, according to Orienspace—founded in 2020 by a group of veteran researchers from State-owned space enterprises.

Gravity 1 is the most powerful commercial rocket in China today.

Its liftoff weight and thrust surpass those of the European Space Agency's Vega-C, previously the world's most powerful solid-propellant rocket.

In addition, at this time, Gravity 1 is the first and only private rocket in China that has side boosters and the largest fairing, or nose cone—the top structure on a rocket that contains satellites or other payloads.

The use of solid fuel is "convenient and safe." It allows for the process of rocket assembly, testing and launch to be completed within a 5 kilometer radius, significantly reducing production time and cost.

Offshore launches offer additional advantages in terms of safety and frequency with potential for weekly launch missions using a single vessel, according to OrienSpace.

The Gravity-1 rocket structure is designed for rapid mass production. Its core and boosters have the same diameter, simplifying the manufacturing process and significantly improving manufacturing efficiency, while cutting production costs.

OrienSpace said it aimed to achieve liquid rocket recyclability and reusability within 1-2 years, increasing its carrying capacity to 15-20 tonnes and further driving down costs.

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 5 minutes, 45 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2026

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