SpaceWar.com reports: “China successfully launched its Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket on Monday morning from a sea-based platform near Haiyang, Shandong province, deploying 10 satellites into space. The mission highlighted the growing capability of sea-based launches as a strategic tool for satellite deployment.

The rocket lifted off at 11 a.m. from a dedicated launch service ship, releasing the satellites into a low-Earth orbit approximately 650 kilometers above the planet’s surface. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the rocket’s manufacturer, confirmed the success in a statement following the event. This marks the fifth sea-based mission for the Smart Dragon 3 series.

Standing 31 meters tall and with a diameter of 2.65 meters, the Smart Dragon 3 is a solid-propellant rocket weighing 140 metric tons at liftoff. It is powered by a high-performance solid-propellant engine containing 71 tons of propellant, capable of producing a thrust of 200 tons. The rocket’s design allows it to transport payloads of up to 1.5 tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

China’s sea-based launch systems are a critical component of the nation’s space ambitions. These systems provide unique advantages, such as enhanced launch flexibility, reduced costs, and minimized risks to populated areas. Launch platforms are typically retrofitted ships that serve as mobile launch bases, enabling missions to be conducted closer to the equator for optimal orbital efficiency…”