China has successfully launched a missile from an offshore platform for the first time. According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the launch of the carrier rocket "Changzheng-11" (Long March 11, CZ-11) was carried out on June 5 at 04:06 UTC (7:06 Moscow time) from the launch platforms on a large semi-submersible barge located in the Yellow Sea.
The booster delivered seven satellites into orbit, including the Bufeng-1A and Bufeng-1B spacecraft developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) for meteorological research and five satellites for commercial use. Two of them are owned by Beijing-based technology company China 125, which plans to launch hundreds of satellites into orbit to create a global data network.
This launch vehicle was named "LM-11 WEY" in honor of the strategic partnership between WEY, Great Wall Motor's premium crossover brand, the China Space Foundation, and China's Research Institute of Rocket Technology (CALT). In April this year, WEY and CALT established a joint technology innovation center to help the automaker achieve breakthroughs in manufacturing and R&D.
China has become the third global power, after Russia and the United States, capable of launching rockets into space from an offshore platform.
Source: 3dnews.ru