The News
China launched its newest space rocket, the Long March 12, on Saturday from the country’s first dedicated commercial spaceport.
The maiden mission for both the rocket and the Hainan International Aerospace Launch Center marks a significant step toward fostering a Chinese rival to SpaceX’s Starlink: A 14,000-strong constellation from Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology.
With a set deadline of 2030, it would need to launch more than seven satellites every day to complete that goal, IEEE Spectrum noted. SpaceX makes its rockets and its satellites, but SSST does not, and the Chinese satellites are largely untested, posing potential hindrances to progress, an industry expert told the outlet: “Ultimately this is about resilience and quality in the supply chain: launch, satellite manufacturing, and terminal equipment.”