The Chinese mainland's first offshore test platform for liquid-fueled rocket launch and recovery is nearing completion at Oriental Spaceport in Haiyang, Yantai, in the eastern part of Shandong Province on the Chinese mainland. Engineers anticipate wrapping up construction and starting commissioning and rehearsal tests around February 5.
By mid-February, coinciding with the Spring Festival, a domestically developed commercial liquid-fueled rocket will perform a full launch-and-recovery trial at the site. This milestone will mark the Chinese mainland's first-ever offshore launch and recovery test using a liquid-fueled rocket.
The timing is significant. As 2026 ushers in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (20262030), "accelerating the building of a space power" appears as a key national task for the first time. Industry experts see reusable liquid rockets as a game-changer: unlike solid-fueled rocketswhich the spaceport has used for 22 offshore missions but cannot recoverliquid-fueled rockets offer higher payload capacity and the potential for cost-saving reuse.
To date, Oriental Spaceport has launched 137 satellites on behalf of commercial operators. Adding reusable liquid launches to its portfolio could slash deployment costs for satellite constellations and position the site at the forefront of the Chinese mainland's growing commercial space sector.
With commissioning tests set to begin in early February, all eyes will be on Haiyang as the world watches the dawn of a new era in ocean-based, reusable rocket launches.
Reference(s):
China's first offshore liquid rocket test platform to begin operations
cgtn.com
