Chinese startup launches world’s largest solid fuel rocket

Beijing-based startup, Orienspace, has achieved a significant milestone with the successful launch of Gtavity-1, the world’s largest solid fuel rocket and the most robust ever developed by the Chinese private sector.

The groundbreaking achievement not only marks a triumph for Orienspace but also signifies a notable entry of private enterprises into the commercial launch sector, a domain historically monopolized by China’s state agencies.

Launching from a vessel off the eastern shores of Shandong province, the rocket, as reported by Orienspace, soared into the skies, successfully deploying three advanced remote-sensing satellites into orbit.

😮Sea launch moment of world’s largest solid fuel rocket is insane like a volcano! OrienSpace’s Gravity-1 was truly beyond imagination. Full HD: https://t.co/9urLzeDvjX pic.twitter.com/kRJ1QwPXkI

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) January 12, 2024

Founded in 2020 by veterans of China’s state space agencies, Orienspace had planned the first launch of Gravity-1 for the second half of 2023.

The rocket boasts the capability to propel a payload of up to 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) into low Earth orbit, solidifying its status as the most potent launch vehicle crafted by a private Chinese enterprise.

The inaugural flight of Gravity-1 is poised to catalyze a surge in commercial satellite launches, particularly targeting low- and mid-altitude orbits within the burgeoning private sector.

Also Read: China launches test satellite for internet technologies

Notably, Orienspace’s CEO revealed last year that the company has already secured orders for launching hundreds of satellites, underscoring the increasing demand for their services.

Gravity-1 can place as many as 30 satellites into orbit in a single launch, according to Orienspace. The company also says it can organise a launch in under seven days and in some cases, just 24 hours.

The versatility of Gravity-1, capable of launching from a mobile sea platform, expands the spectrum of viable launch sites. This innovation mirrors China’s foray into sea-based commercial rocket launches, exemplified by the inaugural mission of the Long March 11 developed by the state in 2020.

Sea launches would reduce the risk of rocket stages endangering inhabited areas as they fall back to Earth.

Orienspace’s inaugural flight with Gravity-1 positioned the company as the fifth private Chinese entity to independently operate a carrier rocket, joining the ranks of i-Space, Galactic Energy, Space Pioneer, and LandSpace, as reported by Chinese state media.