Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site

Chinese commercial space launch site

Location

Wenchang, Hainan, China

Operator

HICAL

Launch pad(s)

Two

Launch Complex 1 launch history
Status	Complete
First launch	June 2024
Associated rockets	Long March 8 Long March 8A

Launch Complex 2 launch history
Status	Under construction
First launch	Q3 2024
Associated rockets	Long March 12 (future) Tianlong-3 (future) Pallas-1 (future) Nebula-1 (future) Gravity-2 (future) Kinetica 2 (future)

Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site

Simplified Chinese

文昌商业航天发射场

Traditional Chinese

文昌商業航天發射場

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wénchāng Shāngyè Hángtiān Fāshè Chǎng

The Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site (Chinese: 文昌商业航天发射场), located at Wenchang, Hainan, is China's first commercial space launch site, and 5th space launch site. The launch site started construction in July 2022, and is expected to be put into service in 2024.^[1]

History

The Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site is built and operated by HICAL, a joint venture of the Hainan government and three state-owned conglomerates. In China, a commercial space center is a site owned by an entity other than the Government or Military.^[2]

Construction of the site started in July 2022, and the launch complex one was finished on Dec 29, 2023.^[1]^[3] As of April 2024, the second pad is set to be finished by the end of May, with 19 different rockets from nine companies expected to launch using LC-2.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Commercial space launch site begins construction". China Daily. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
^ Joseph, Joane. "Work begins on China's First Commercial Spacecraft Launch Centre at Hainan". GizmoChina. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^ Jones, Andrew (5 January 2024). "China completes new commercial launch pad to boost access to space". SpaceNews. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
^ Jones, Andrew (4 April 2024). "China putting finishing touches on seaside spaceport for commercial launches (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 8 April 2024.

Spaceports

Active

Asia	Chinese government:: CNSA Jiuquan Taiyuan Wenchang Xichang Chinese private launches: HICAL (Wenchang Commercial) India: ISRO Satish Dhawan Thumba Indonesia: LAPAN Pameungpeuk Iran: ISA Semnan IRGC Shahroud Space Center Israel: ISA Palmachim Japanese government: JAXA Tanegashima Uchinoura Japanese private launches: Space One Spaceport Kii Kazakhstan / Russia: Roscosmos / VKS Baikonur VKS Sary Shagan North Korea: NADA Sohae South Korea: KARI Naro Pakistan: SUPARCO Sonmiani Russia: Roscosmos Vostochny VKS Dombarovsky / Yasny
Europe	Norway: NOSA Andøya SvalRak Russia: VKS Kapustin Yar Plesetsk Spain: INTA El Arenosillo Sweden: SSC Esrange United Kingdom: Spaceport Cornwall
North America	United States government: USSF Cape Canaveral SFS / ER Vandenberg SFB / WR NASA Kennedy Wallops United States academic launches Poker Flat United States private launches Corn Ranch Pacific MARS Mojave Spaceport America SpaceX Starbase
Oceania	Australia: RAAF Woomera Southern Launch Koonibba New Zealand: Rocket Lab Mahia Peninsula Marshall Islands / United States: DoD Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein
South America	Brazil: FAB / AEB Alcântara Barreira do Inferno Europe: ESA / France: CNES Guiana / Kourou
International waters	Russia: Sea Launch

Proposed

Canada: Maritime Launch Services (Canso)
India: Kulasekharapatnam
Indonesia: LAPAN
- Biak
Japan: Airport extensions
- Oita Airport
- Taiki Aerospace Research Field
Sweden: Spaceport Sweden (Kiruna)
United Kingdom: UKSA
- SaxaVord Spaceport
- Sutherland
United States: Airport extensions
- Cecil, Florida
- Clinton-Sherman, Oklahoma
- Colorado Air and Space Port
- Ellington, Texas
- Midland, Texas
United States: Other
- Maine

Spain: El Hierro

Historical

Algeria / France: CIEES
Hammaguir
Reggane
Australia: Carnarvon
Canada: Churchill
Hall Beach
Resolute Bay
China: Guangde
Nanhui
Nazi Germany: Blizna
Greifswalder Oie
Peenemünde
Tuchola Forest
Greece: Koroni
India: Balasore
Italy: Salto di Quirra
Japan: Akita
Nii-jima
Obachi
Ryori
Kenya / Italy: Broglio, Malindi
North Korea: Tonghae
Soviet Union / Russia: Kheysa
Okhotsk
Svobodny
Spain: El Arenosillo
Sweden: Kronogård
USA: Edwards
WSSH

v t e Long March (rocket family)
Rockets	Feng Bao 1 Long March 1 1D Long March 2 2A 2C 2D 2E 2F Long March 3 3A 3B 3B/E 3C Long March 4 4A 4B 4C Long March 5 5B Long March 6 6A 6C Long March 7 7A Long March 8 Long March 9 Long March 10 Long March 11 Long March 12
Launch sites	Jiuquan Taiyuan Wenchang Commercial Xichang
Manufacturers	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology
Designers	Wang Xiji
List of Long March launches

Chinese space program

Spaceports and landing sites	Jiuquan Taiyuan Wenchang Xichang Siziwang Banner (landing site)
Launch vehicles	Long March 1 Long March 2 Long March 3 Long March 3A Long March 3B Long March 3C Long March 4 Long March 4A Long March 4B Long March 4C Long March 5 Long March 6 Long March 7 Long March 8 Long March 9 (In development) Long March 10 (In development) Long March 11 Long March 12 Kuaizhou Kaituozhe
Exploration programs	Shuguang (cancelled) CMS (human spaceflight) Chang'e (lunar exploration) Tiangong (space station) Tianwen (interplanetary exploration)

Projects and missions

Science

Planetary science	Chang'e 1 (2007–09) Chang'e 2 (2010–present) Yinghuo 1† (2011) Chang'e 3 (2013–present) Chang'e 5-T1 (2014–present) Yutu rover (2013–2016) Chang'e 4 (2018–present) Yutu-2 rover (2018–present) Tianwen-1 (2020–present) Chang'e 5 (2020–present) Zhurong rover (2021–present) Interstellar Express (2024) Chang'e 6 (2025) Tianwen-2 (2025) Chang'e 7 (2026) Tianwen-3 (2028) Tianwen-4 (2029)
Astronomy and cosmology	DAMPE (2015–present) HXMT (2017–present) GECAM (2020–present) CHASE (2021–present) ASO-S (2022–present) Einstein Probe (2023) SVOM (2024) Xuntian (2024) Space Solar Telescope
Earth observation	CSES (2018–present) Double Star (2003–07) Gaofen Series (2013–present) Haiyang Series (2002–present) TanSat (2016–present) Yaogan Series (2006–present) Ziyuan Series (CBERS) (1999–present) SMILE (2025)

Human
spaceflight

Uncrewed expeditions	Shenzhou 1 Shenzhou 2 Shenzhou 3 Shenzhou 4 Shenzhou 8
Crewed expeditions	Shenzhou 5 Shenzhou 6 Shenzhou 7 Shenzhou 9 Shenzhou 10 Shenzhou 11 Shenzhou 12 Shenzhou 13 Shenzhou 14 Shenzhou 15 Shenzhou 16 (List of Chinese astronauts)
Space laboratories and cargos	Tiangong 1 (2011–2018) Tiangong 2 (2016–2019) Tianzhou 1 (2017) Tianzhou 2 (2021) Tianzhou 3 (2021) Tianzhou 4 (2022) Tianzhou 5 (2022) Tianzhou 6 (2023)
Tiangong space station modules	Tianhe (2021–present) Wentian (2022–present) Mengtian (2022–present)

Navigation

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)

Telecommunications

Apstar Series (1994–present)
Chinasat Series (1994–present)
Queqiao (2018–present)
Tiandu 1 and 2 (2024–present)
Tianlian I (2008–present)
Tianlian II (2019–present)
Queqiao 2 (2024–present)

Technology
demonstrators

Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft (2020)
FSW Program (1969–2006)
QUESS (2016–present)
Shijian Series (1971–present)
XPNAV 1 (2016–present)

Lanyue Lunar Lander

Future missions marked in italics. Failed missions marked with † sign

Chinese space facilities and organizations

Centers

Space cities	Dongfeng space city Beijing space city Wenchang space city Shanghai space city Yantai space city Guizhou Aerospace Industrial Park
Monitoring and control centers	Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center Xi'an Satellite Monitor and Control Center Chinese Deep Space Network Yuanwang-class space tracking ships China Domestic Tracking Stations China Overseas Tracking Stations

Launch sites

Suborbital launch sites	Nanhui Launch Site Base 603
Orbital launch sites	Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Xichang Satellite Launch Center Wenchang Space Launch Site Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site

Crewed spacecraft
landing site

Siziwang Banner

Associated
organizations

Universities and institutes

CAS Key Laboratory of high-temperature gas dynamics
China Aerodynamics Research & Development Center
Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
School of Aeronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University
China's Space Medical Institute

Ministries and agencies

Commercial companies

Launch providers	CAS Space* Deep Blue Aerospace ExPace* Galactic Energy i-Space LandSpace LinkSpace OneSpace Orienspace Space Epoch Space Pioneer Space Trek
Spacecraft manufacturers	ChangGuang Satellite* COMMSAT Galaxy Space Geespace OK-Space Smart Satellite Spacety
Component suppliers	Jiuzhou Yunjian SMotor ZeroG Lab

Commercial companies with majority state ownership marked with * sign

v t e Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
China National Space Administration Chinese space program
Missions	Chang'e 1 (Oct 2007) Chang'e 2 (Oct 2010) Chang'e 3 (Dec 2013) Yutu rover Chang'e 5-T1 (Oct 2014) Queqiao (relay satellite, May 2018) Chang'e 4 (Dec 2018) Yutu-2 rover Chang'e 5 (Nov 2020) Queqiao 2 (relay satellite, Mar 2024) Tiandu 1 and 2 Chang'e 6 (May 2024) Chang'e 7 (2026) Chang'e 8 (2028)
Launch vehicles	Long March 3A Long March 3B Long March 3C Long March 5 Long March 8
Facilities	Xichang Satellite Launch Center Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site
People	Zhang Qingwei Ouyang Ziyuan Ma Xingrui Ye Peijian
Category Commons

v t e Hainan topics
Haikou (capital)
General	History Historical and cultural sites Politics Economy
Geography	Islands of Hainan Dazhou Island Haidian Island Haitang Bay Sanya Bay Nandu River Wanquan River Songtao Reservoir Wuzhizhou Island Wuzhi Mountain Yangpu Peninsula Yongxing Island/Woody Island
Flora and fauna	Hainan yellow lantern chili Hainan gymnure Hainan partridge Hainan peacock-pheasant Hainan black crested gibbon Hainan hare
Media	Hainan TV Haikou TV Nanguo Metropolis Daily Hainan Daily
Transportation	Hainan Eastern Ring HSR Hainan Western Ring HSR Hainan Airlines Haikou Meilan International Airport Qionghai Bo'ao Airport Sanya Phoenix International Airport Basuo Port Haikou New Port Haikou Xiuying Port Macun Port Port of Yangpu
Education	Haikou College of Economics Hainan Medical University Hainan Normal University Hainan University Qiongzhou University/Hainan Tropical Ocean University Sanya University
Demographics	Hainanese Li Miao Zhuang Utsul Tanka Lingao people [zh] Mainland People [zh]
Buildings and structures	Crown of Beauty Theatre Haikou Century Bridge Haikou Great Hall of the People Hainan Centre for the Performing Arts Hainan Exhibition & Convention Center Hainan Library
Cuisine	Hainan chicken rice Wenchang chicken
Visitor attractions	Statue of Guanyin Hainan Museum Leiqiong/Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark Luobi Cave Mission Hills Star Trophy Nanwan Monkey Island Nanshan Temple Phoenix Island Temple of the Five Lords Tianya Haijiao Yangpu Ancient Salt Field Yalong Bay
Category Commons