Yantai-built Gravity 1 rocket sets new sea-launch records

The Gravity 1 Y-3 carrier rocket, produced by Yantai's Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port, sends nine satellites into space on Sept 16 in Shanghai. [Photo/Shandian News]

The Gravity 1 Y-3 carrier rocket, produced by Yantai's Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port, was launched offshore in Shanghai on Sept 16, sending nine satellites into space. The mission set a new record for the payload weight and orbital altitude of a single maritime launch in China.

As the world's largest solid launch vehicle, Gravity 1 can deliver 6.5 metric tons to low-Earth orbit and 4.2 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, supporting a single launch of 30 100-kilogam-class satellites. With a payload of over 3 tons delivered to an 800-km orbit, the sea-launch mode has proven capable of medium-to-large satellite missions.

Gravity 1 has now completed four consecutive successful launches, proving its reliability and laying a solid technical foundation for future commercial batch launches.

With its integrated layout at Haiyang Oriental Aerospace Port, Gravity 1's journey from final assembly to sea launch is greatly streamlined, requiring only a short drive to the dedicated pier. To date, the port has supported 28 sea launches, sending 175 satellites into orbit with a 100 percent success rate.

Haiyang, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province, has now attracted over 30 aerospace projects with cumulative investment of 33.5 billion yuan ($4.99 billion), forming a complete industrial cluster covering rocket R&D, satellite applications and space tourism.