China plans to construct a new space launch center in Wenchang,
China's southernmost Hainan Province, according to official
sources.
The new launch center aims to serve the next-generation rocket
carriers that do emit poisonous and pollutive gas and new-type
spacecraft.
The new launch site will be mainly used for launching
synchronous satellites, heavy satellites, large space stations, and
deep space probe satellites, according to the plan which has been
approved by the State Council and the Central Military
Commission.
Hainan is located in a low-latitude region, which is helpful to
increasing the capacity of rocket carriers and extending the life
span of satellites.
A spokesman for China's space program said the Chinese
government works on peaceful use of the outerspace to promote
development of human civilization and social development and
benefit the whole Mankind.
In 1958, China began building its first rocket launch site in
northwest China's Jiuquan. At present, the country has three space
launch grounds. The other two are located in Taiyuan, capital of
north China's Shanxi Province and Xichang in southwestern Sichuan Province.
These launch sites have carried out over 100 space launches,
sending over 100 satellites and six manned spacecraft into
space.
Jiuquan?space launch
site
Taiyuan?sapce launch
site
Xichang?space launch
site
(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2007)
