New Rocket Capable of Launching Multiple Satellites to Have Maiden Flight in 2022

The development project of the Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket was recently launched and the new rocket is scheduled to take its maiden flight in 2022.

With a diameter of 2.64 meters and a take-off weight of 140 tons, the new carrier rocket will be the largest and strongest in the Smart Dragon fleet, a solid carrier rocket series developed by CHINAROCKET CO., LTD., a subsidiary of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, in 2019.

It will deliver its 1.5-ton payload to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Intending to meet the demand of large-scale satellite network construction, the new rocket is designed to be able to launch more than 20 satellites at once.

It can be directly transported to the offshore launch center for flight after general assembly and testing.

It's worth mentioning that the performance period of the rocket's commercial launch service contract might be shortened to six months, which will greatly improve launch efficiency.

The Smart Dragon 1 of the same series completed its maiden flight in August 2019 and will carry out two to three launches this year.

The image shows the basic data of the Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)