Gravity-1 sea launch
Late on Tuesday, Orienspace performed the third flight of its Gravity-1 solid‑rocket from a launch platform situated off the coast of Shanghai. The roughly 30‑metre‑tall vehicle lifted off from the sea and delivered its payload to low Earth orbit.
Mission details
The launch carried nine satellites, a mix of Earth‑observation and technology‑demonstration spacecraft for various customers. The exact payload composition has not been disclosed publicly.
Significance and outlook
The successful sea‑based launch highlights the increasing flexibility of solid‑propellant rockets for offshore operations. Orienspace intends to increase the cadence of such launches to improve access to space for small satellites. Additional flights of the Gravity-1 variant are planned for the coming months.