China’s Smart Dragon-3 rocket achieves milestone sea launch, deploys key satellites VIDEO

The Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) rocket successfully launched from offshore waters near Haiyang, east China's Shandong Province, at 11 a.m. (Beijing Time) on January 13, placing the CentiSpace 01 satellite group into orbit. 

This mission marked a significant milestone as the first low-inclination orbit launch from Haiyang’s offshore location, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media.

The launch was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, with the SD-3 rocket being developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The rocket stands at 31 meters tall and weighs 140 tonnes. The mission’s success highlighted both the rocket's capability and the advantages of sea-based launches.

Liu Wei, deputy chief designer of the SD-3 rocket, explained that the choice of Haiyang’s offshore waters provided enhanced safety, cost reduction in maritime navigation, and faster technical preparation times. The launch was also noteworthy for being conducted in challenging winter conditions with strong winds, proving the rocket's ability to withstand harsh maritime environments.

The payload for the mission included 10 CentiSpace 01 satellites, which will conduct space environment data collection and intersatellite laser networking tests. Notably, this mission also carried the SD-3's heaviest payload to date, at 1,600 kg.

This launch, China's first sea-based mission of 2025, is part of the growing Dragon rocket family, which was designed to meet the increasing demand for small commercial satellite launches and satellite networks in low orbit. Since 2019, Haiyang has been a key location for sea-based launches, with 15 missions successfully sending 89 satellites into space.

The SD-3 rocket's success further reinforces China's capabilities in the rapidly expanding space sector, as it continues to innovate and explore new methods for satellite deployment.

By Aghakazim Guliyev