Wenchang Space Launch Site
The Wenchang Space Launch Site (Chinese: 文昌航天发射场) is a rocket launch site located in Wenchang on the island of Hainan, in China.
| Location | Wenchang, Hainan, China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 19°36′52.17″N 110°57′4.08″E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | CASC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total launches | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch pad(s) | Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Wenchang Space Launch Site | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 文昌航天发射场 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 文昌航天發射場 | ||||||
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Formally a suborbital test center, it currently serves as China's southernmost spaceport. The site was selected for its low latitude, 19° north of the equator, allowing for larger payloads to be launched. It is capable of launching the Long March 5, the heaviest Chinese rocket. Unlike launch facilities on the mainland, Wenchang uses its seaport for deliveries.
The construction of the site was complete by October 2014. The first launch took place on 25 June 2016. Due to construction delays, the initial launch of the CZ-5 booster from Wenchang, originally expected to start in 2014 was postponed and took place on 3 November 2016. The CZ-5B (maximum payload to LEO) variant was expected to be completed circa 2018 but the maiden flight took place on 5 May 2020. A CZ-5 carrier rocket was already shipped from North China's Tianjin port on 20 September 2015 for rehearsal drills of a scheduled Chang'e-5 lunar mission, which was planned for around 2019 and was successfully launched on 23 November 2020.