China is being aggressive in the space field. Recently, China is building a special ship that will launch a rocket into space.
The ship is 162.5 meters long and 40 meters wide. Shipbuilding continues to be perfected at China Oriental Spaceport, Haiyang, Shandong Province, China.
As quoted from Space, Tuesday (11/16/2021) the rocket launcher is equipped with integrated support equipment and is able to facilitate the Long March 11, a larger Smart Dragon commercial rocket.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has carried out two launches of Long Mars 11 from the Yellow Sea using modified barges.
With the presence of a rocket launch ship, it is expected to meet the needs of launching rockets, satellites, and landing the first rockets such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. It is hoped that the ship will be operational in 2022.
The choice of launching from the sea is due to a more flexible flight path than on land. So that the remaining debris from the launch is not in settlements that have the potential to cause casualties.
The existence of the ship could help China's launches increase. On the other hand, reducing the burden on the four main launch centers of the Bamboo Curtain country.
So far, in 2021 alone, China has launched 41 times, a national record for launches into orbit in a calendar year.
China is not the first country to launch a rocket from the sea, previously the United States (US) and Russia.
