China successfully launched Smart Dragon-3 rocket from the sea, putting satellite into orbit

DNVN - On the morning of January 13, China launched the Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket, putting 10 CentiSpace 01 satellites into orbit as planned.

Smart Dragon-3 carrying 10 CentiSpace 01 satellites lifted off from the launch pad in the sea near Haiyang city, Shandong province, China on the morning of January 13, 2025. Photo: THX/TTXVN

According to Xinhua News Agency, the SD-3 rocket was launched at 11:00 a.m. (local time, equivalent to 10:00 a.m. Vietnam time) from a sea area near Haiyang City, Shandong Province, eastern China. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center was responsible for the launch.

With an overall length of 31 m and a mass of 140 tons, the SD-3 rocket was designed and manufactured by the China Academy of Rocket Technology.

Liu Wei, deputy chief designer of the SD-3, said that this was the first time a low-inclination orbit launch had been conducted from the sea off Haiyang. This approach not only ensured safety but also reduced navigation costs, shortened technical preparation time and improved economic efficiency. He stressed that the sea launch had demonstrated the rocket’s ability to operate in harsh environments and strong winter winds.

This launch is the first time China has conducted a sea-based rocket launch in 2025. Smart Dragon-3 has set a new milestone by carrying a total payload of 1,600 kg, the largest ever. The CentiSpace 01 satellites in the payload group will serve to collect data on the space environment as well as test the inter-satellite laser network.

Smart Dragon-3 is one of the members of China's Dragon rocket family. The first launch of this rocket family will take place in December 2022. Unlike the Long March series, the Dragon series of rockets is specifically designed to meet the growing demand for launching small commercial satellites into low orbit and supporting commercial satellite networks.

Thanh Mai (t/h)

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/trung-quoc-phong-thanh-cong-ten-lua-day-smart-dragon-3-tu-bien-dua-ve-tinh-vao-quy-dao/20250114092314602