| Native name | 海南国际商业航天发射有限公司 |
|---|---|
| Trade name | HICAL |
| Foundation | 2 June 2022 (age 4) |
| Location | Wenchang, Hainan, China |
| Owner | Hainan Provincial Government China Satellite Network Group CASIC CASC |
| Key people | Yang Tianliang (Chairman of the Board)[1] |
| Industry | Transport |
| Products | Spaceport operations and services |
| Subsid | Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site |
Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., Ltd., or HICAL, is a Chinese state-owned company that operates the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, China's first commercial spaceport. Established in 2022, HICAL is the first commercially incorporated company in China to independently own and manage a spaceport.
History and Launch Pads
Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., Ltd. (HICAL) was incorporated on June 2, 2022. The company is jointly funded by the Hainan Provincial Government and three state-owned aerospace contractors: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and China Satellite Network Group. HICAL was established with a starting capital of RMB 1.5 billion.[2]
On July 6, 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, which is China's first commercial space launch complex, and which is fully funded, constructed and operated by HICAL.[3] Launch Complex 1 was completed in December 2023 and Launch Complex 2 is expected to be completed in 2024.[4][3]
| Tlaunches | 15 |
|---|---|
| Location | Wenchang, Hainan, China |
| Operator | HICAL |
| Pads | Two |
| Designation | Launch Complex 1 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Launches | 10 |
| First launch | 11 March 2025 |
| First details | Long March 8 / G60 Polar Group 05 |
| Last launch | 17 May 2026 |
| Last details | Long March 8 / G60 Polar Group #9 |
| Rockets | Long March 8 Long March 8A |
| Designation | Launch Complex 2 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Launches | 5 |
| First launch | 30 November 2024 |
| First details | Long March 12 / Demo Flight |
| Last launch | 19 January 2026 |
| Last details | Long March 12 / SatNet LEO Group 19 |
| Rockets | Long March 12 (active) Tianlong-3 (future) Pallas-1 (future) Nebula-1 (future) Gravity-2 (future) Kinetica 2 (future) |
Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site
The Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site (Chinese: 文昌商业航天发射场), located at Wenchang, Hainan, is China's first commercial space launch site, and 5th space launch site. The launch site started construction in July 2022, and is expected to be put into service in 2024.[5]
The Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site is built and operated by HICAL, a joint venture of the Hainan government and three state-owned conglomerates. In China, a commercial space center is a site owned by an entity other than the Government or Military.[6]
Construction of the site started in July 2022, and the launch complex one was finished on December 29, 2023.[5][7] As of April 2024, the second pad is set to be finished by the end of May, with 19 different rockets from nine companies expected to launch using LC-2.[8]
Missions
Previous launches
| Date (UTC) | Vehicle | Serial number | Launch Pad | Payload | Outcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2024, 14:25 | Long March 12 | Y1 | LC-2 | Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 5A JSW-03 | First launch of the Long March 12 launch vehicle and the first launch from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site. | |
| 11 March 2025, 16:38 | Long March 8 | Y6 | LC-1 | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 05) | First launch from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site's LC-1. | |
| 30 July 2025, 07:50 | Long March 8A | Y3 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 06) | First flight of Long March 8A from Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site. | |
| 4 August 2025, 10:20 | Long March 12 | Y2 | LC-2 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 07) | ||
| 25 August 2025, 19:08 | Long March 8A | Y2 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 10) | ||
| 16 October 2025, 01:33 | Long March 8A | Y4 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 12) | ||
| 10 November 2025, 02:41 | Long March 12 | Y3 | LC-2 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 13) | ||
| 6 December 2025, 07:53 | Long March 8A | Y5 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 14) | ||
| 11 December 2025, 23:00 | Long March 12 | Y4 | LC-2 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 16) | ||
| 25 December 2025, 23:26 | Long March 8A | Y6 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 17) | ||
| 13 January 2026, 15:25 | Long March 8A | Y7 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 18) | ||
| 19 January 2026, 07:48 | Long March 12 | Y5 | LC-2 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 19) | ||
| 12 March 2026, 19:48 | Long March 8A | Y8 | LC-1 | Guowang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 20) | ||
| 7 April 2026, 13:32 | Long March 8 | Y7 | LC-1 | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 07) | ||
| 17 May 2026, 14:42 | Long March 8 | Y8 | LC-1 | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group #9) |
Next launches
| Date (UTC) | Vehicle | Serial number | Launch Pad | Payload | Outcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Long March ? | Y? | LC-1 or LC-2 | Unknown Payload |
See also
- Chinese space program
- Wenchang Space Launch Site
- Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
- Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
- Xichang Satellite Launch Center
References
- ^ Wei, An & Xu, Shuyang. "火箭"工位"准备中 海南商业航天发射场项目最新进展" (in zh-Hans-CN). China Central Television. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "海南国际商业航天发射有限公司". www.iguopin.com. 国聘. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Su, Jiede & Liu, Mengxiao. "海南国际商业航天发射中心今年将实现首发" (in zh-cn). www.hi.chinanews.com.cn. China News Service. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ Liu, Mengxiao & Peng, Qinglin. "海南国际商业航天发射中心一号发射工位竣工-新华网" (in zh-cn). hq.news.cn. Xinhua. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Commercial space launch site begins construction". China Daily. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Joseph, Joane. "Work begins on China's First Commercial Spacecraft Launch Centre at Hainan". GizmoChina. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (5 January 2024). "China completes new commercial launch pad to boost access to space". SpaceNews. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (4 April 2024). "China putting finishing touches on seaside spaceport for commercial launches (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 8 April 2024.