New China Commercial Rocket Launch Pads Nearing Completion in Hainan
China is building new commercial launch pads in Hainan, eyeing 60 launches a year. Main civil construction work on Commercial Launch Pads 3 and 4 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan province has been completed, according to site operator HICAL. The two multi-user pads, part of the site's second-phase expansion, are designed to host launch vehicles at least 3.35 meters in diameter. While core structures are finished, several support systems remain under installation, including a shared water storage tower and six lightning diversion towers still awaiting night-launch lighting.
The first launch from the new pads is expected in the fourth quarter of this 2026, potentially using a Long March 10B rocket with a reused first-stage booster. Once validated by an initial flight, the site will be able to support up to 60 launches a year, with most coming from the Long March 8 series. The expansion, spanning over 133 hectares along Wenchang's coast, also includes fueling systems, a command center, and a testing facility—another step in China's rapidly growing commercial space capacity as high-density launches become the new normal at the site.
Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Release Date: July 27, 2026
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