China will test flight its next two Smart Dragon space rockets for commercial use in 2020 and 2021. This was reported by the official Xinhua News Agency on Sunday. As the expected boom in satellite deployment gathers pace, the country is ramping up its efforts in this area.
China Rocket (a division of the state corporation China Aerospace Science and Technology) announced this two months after the launch of its first reusable rocket, the 23-ton Smart Dragon-1 (), which launched three satellites into orbit. China is looking to deploy constellations of commercial satellites that could offer services ranging from high-speed Internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Reusable rocket designs will make it possible to launch cargo into space more often and reduce costs.
According to Xinhua, the solid-fuel Smart Dragon-2, weighing about 60 tons and with a total length of 21 meters, is capable of delivering about 500 kg of payload into orbit at an altitude of 500 km. A test launch of this rocket is expected to be made as early as next year. At the same time, Smart Dragon-3 will go on a test flight in 2021 - this launch vehicle will weigh about 116 tons, reach a length of 31 meters and will be able to send about 1,5 tons of payload into orbit.
In July, Beijing-based iSpace became the first private Chinese firm to fly a satellite into orbit on its rocket. Since late last year, two other Chinese startup companies have tried to launch satellites but failed.
Source: 3dnews.ru