China's Starlink project and lunar exploration program have both taken a step forward! The Shanghai Maritime Administration has issued a navigation warning: from July 20 to 22, between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM each day, rocket launches will take place in certain areas of the East China Sea, prohibiting vessels from entering. It is reported that this is the fourth flight of the "Gravity-1" Long March rocket, carried aboard the "Dongfang Aerospace Port" launch vessel, conducting an offshore satellite launch mission in waters east of Shanghai.
The "Gravity-1" Long March rocket is no ordinary vehicle—it is a commercial rocket developed by a private enterprise. Its maiden flight in January 2024 already set multiple records, including being the world’s largest solid-fueled launch vehicle and China’s most powerful civilian commercial rocket. According to reports, the rocket has a low Earth orbit (LEO) payload capacity of 6.5 tons and a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) capability of 4.2 tons. Meanwhile, the upcoming "Gravity-2" rocket is expected to achieve a 500 km SSO payload capacity of up to 15 tons, with reusable components, and is scheduled for its first flight later this year.
Currently, the biggest technological gap between China and the United States lies in reusable rocket systems. Although we recently achieved a successful sea-based net recovery attempt, further testing is still needed to improve success rates and reliability. However, several leading domestic private rocket companies are now reaching a critical stage where their products can support large-scale, low-cost satellite constellation deployments. Overall, our technological approach is more diversified, while SpaceX remains focused on a single technical path. From the perspective of latecomer advantages, China’s own satellite constellation system and lunar exploration plans may advance more steadily. What we lack most right now? Time—time—time.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871199905123340/
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