Why China Wants to Massively Launch from the Sea 

Do you think there's a business case for sea launch? And if the situation is different between China and other markets? Let me know what you think! 👇

Even if it's not too economical, it's better than waiting for limited launch windows.

Launching massive rockets from a ship has lots of advantages as the ocean is far bigger area than the landmass. Launching from a mobile sea platform can give an efficient trajectory and increased safety. China has been progressing in this new technology as the payload has been increasing to 6.5 tons. Great development in China.

Trivia: This is a rocket from a Chinese private rocket company called "ORIEN SPACE". Its founder's name is "Yao Song". He was born in 1992 and is only 31 years old this year. China currently has many private rocket companies.

Love your slow and concise briefings. Keep up the good work.

The difference here is the Chinese sea launch site is usually close to the coastline. It makes it fast to reach and low cost to travel to. It also makes it easy and cost little for the maintenance, comparing to the operation cost of Sea Launch Co. P.S. The 6.5-ton capability of Gravity to LEO, 3.8 to 700km SSO is pretty much covering all spectrum of satellites nowadays we mostly launch.

I'm seeing China as Super Power after 2030, they are growing at imense rapid speed. Immpresive.

Before the reusable rockets can be put into use, China already proposed some strategies to reduce the risk of the falling boosters and first stages. They tried to equip the boosters of LM-3B with parashutes to reduce the area on which they fall, and the boosters on the new LM-7s are designed to separate with first stage.

one advantage that these Chinese sea launch companies have over SeaLaunch, is that SeaLaunch alone had to build out (and pay for) its own infrastructure. Here, the local governments are supporting that buildout, plus there are multiple companies sharing the infrastructure which lets them take advantage of economies of scale. it will be interesting to see how this develops in the future

I have been waiting for this video!

Thank you DongFang Hours. I am enjoying your program.🚀🚀🚀

Thankyou as always to make me keep updated in China's space news!

A brilliant hi-tech documentary from Dongfang Hour. Thank you. ❤❤❤❤

Happy new year Jean 🎉 Looking forward to you videos this year. Especially interested in the VTVL testing that seems like it will be ramping up this year.

Some Europian countries do not have launch facilities , because of geogrphy. Perhaps China demonstrating that it can overcome such limitations.

They also have the Wenchang commercial launch site on Hainan.

It's interesting how in China the local government is investing in infrastructure allowing space companies to settle. In the United States, it's often the opposite, with the space company being the one investing in the local area and undergoing lawsuits in order to be able to build the infrastructure. To not mention having to face lawsuits by environmental organizations and so on.

Happy new year 🎉. Thank you for the great content. Awesome work 👏👏

Pure dope as usual. Dongfang Hour clearly in the top 3 best space youtube channels out there. Looking forward to collabs with Scott Manley and Timm Dodd!

Thank you very much for your informative update🙂👍🙏

Thank you! I’ve never heard about Sea Launch, before, but it looks like it was cool! Happy New Year! 🎉

nice coverage with detailed specs and context. not just sentimental bs most channels out there do.

Happy New Year, Dongfang Hour! Thank you again for your reports; your channel is my principal source for info on China's public and private Space programs. Hello from New Zealand! 🇨🇳🚀🇳🇿

Interesting and engaging as always! I'm sure that in one of your previous videos about Chinese launch sites, you also mentioned a new development about a coastal launch site? As far as ship-based launches go, it must help if the rocket are based on solid fuel engines so no issue about fuelling or topping up on a ship.

Thanks for the insight! Very informative.

The US will say that china is coping with the Americans rocket that only went into the sky for a few seconds before it exploded

When China started trains to Europe, traffic was hopeless. Now the train goes to every corner of Europe especially in times of Red Sea blockade. When China starts a project, you bet it will be big in future.

This launch looks so different =) Thanks for sharing and explain this.

Indian and US news say the rocket fuel is power by Water 😂

Sea based lauches are harder to track by the NRO in America. As well determining payload. These launches can be done quickly, so in a time war. If vital Chinese satellites are disrupted or destroyed. They can be replaced to some degree.

Awesome reporting ..thanks

Great coverage as always.

Very interesting.thanks.

Allerbeste Grüße und Dank für Deine Arbeit von mir aus Germany!

Thank you Jean, very convincing arguments !

Thanks for sharing.

Another excellent piece, very accurate observation, spot on🎉🎉🎉

I believe you missed the real reason - strategic! When war comes, it is only a question of when, the inland site can be put out of service in short order. Knocking out sea launch capacity will be much more difficult. The US off course will face the same problem. Most likely a bigger problem - given the performance of China's hypersonic missiles and the current lack of US capability to deal with them.

Very good, clear Voice, talking speed is just right, not too fast, not too slow. Very comfortable for the ears. It is an enjoyment listening to your talk. Keep up the good work, thank you.

That would depend on many things. The weight and infrastructure needs for the launch (liquid cryogenics the worst case,) whether the cost is warranted to attain the orbit inclination desired, the size and payload, and many other things that I’m not qualified to say off the top of my head. This is a per-case, intensive costing problem.

Yooo great video! So awesome to finally have a youtuber that properly understands both China and its Space industry, rather than just 1, or worse, neither...

Thanks for clearing the doubt "why sea launch?"

Interesting variety coming out of China...amazing tech!

Only these reasons. 1. No villages nearby if the rockets fail (happened many times). 2. Rockets can fly east once launched due to earth rotation, but not over any land in the beginning because of reason 1.

Good thoughts. My only hiccup actually is with Orien’s solid launch: that ‘steel tornado’ that was produced- akin to the ‘rock tornado’ produced by Starship’s IFT-1 test launch- is something I kinda expected from such a big set of solids on a ship…which is why I never expected anyone to try that from a ship…..(as opposed to a cold tube lunch, for example). It wasn’t trivial; and notice, they have not been forthcoming- to my knowledge - with what the economic damage done to the ship has been. They did imply they will be moving into liquids themselves; if I had to guess the generation of the ‘steel tornado’ probably is giving them even more impetus to move that changeover up even faster. - Dave Huntsman

US would complain China for not sharing its technology to US. LoL

Sea-Launch is "location flexible", especially, those wanting "heaviest payloads" that take advantage of "maximum boost (using minimum thrust)" Equatorial Launches with "maximum orbital incline plane options" (can accommodate seasonal changes better, too) fixed land-based launches suffer too restricted launch window options

Factual and informative. Not another anti China fact twisting narratives. Good job. Keep it up man.

The West: oh its a copy, it's stolen, oh Chinese made make it to the Moon. How funny! When all these sour grapes keep shouting they couldn't realise they're being beaten and slowly outpace in the race in every sphere.

Very insightful and informative as always. SeaLaunch (the company) suffered from a very sparse launch cadence. If China can establish a higher launch cadence, then the advantage in launch flexibility becomes becomes an operational capability. The launch platform looks like it's capable of supporting reusable booster landings. This where things could get interesting. For example, having a launch industry based in populous southern region. Launching 75-100 km offshore eliminates many concerns like rocket noise pollution and other rocket related risks, while having excellent resources and logistics. It also separates commercial space activities from military activities, so each can have more dedicated infrastructure.

This is brilliant!! Thank you.

Great update !

Longa vida à China, aos chineses e ao novo mundo multipolar!

Solid fuel+ sea launches strikes me as very flexible and scalable. That might be more important than raw costs.

Where have you been we’ve missed the dongfang hour hope everything is ok on your end. Without you we would never know how good china is doing.

That looks so cool 😍

Very informative

The abundance of sea water as natural source of hydrogen and oxygen fuels for rocket engines

Well done China keep it up n God bless.

The massive amounts of money the city of Shandong (5:45) has poured into this launch facility has no comparison in any other city! What a project! A true Space Port City of the 21st Century, designed specifically to faciltate private Space enterprise and set to become a future centre of Space Commerce. What Civic foresight, an example to be followed.

Thank you. 🌹

It's rumoured that a new launch site in Ningbo, Zhejiang Provinve, purely used for commercial launches, has been mooted for some time.

It's interesting, and the improved launch parameters possible from launching anywhere they want in the Western Pacific seems reason enough to have pursued it. It just isn't nearly as cool as the Sea Dragon concept from way back, which is what I expect to see when I hear "sea launched".

sorry if this sound stupid as my knowledge about rockets are really limited, but why don't they do it from islands ?

That cold launch is dope as fck...imagine the few seconds of high G force the taikonauts experiencing, stop, and back again until it reach orbit.. 😂

It may make sense at some point to sail closer to the equator and launching there.

Assumption that China cost for launches are same as Europe,Russian, JV is rediclous. China VAST engineering and high tech manufacturing is way ahead. Thus cheaper, faster and well planned.

I saw this video on insta and westerners and indians were whining abt pollution and they were also saying this launch destroyed the ship in half, LOL😂😂😂, they will always find something to cry.

Can you make a comparative breakdown of space launches between the US and China? Not only for rockets and parts, but also for manpower.

thanks

Any rocket can disbalance the ship from where it is launched it is likely the exhaust is directed in a L shape over a raised launch pad

That’s amazing

Even though uneconomical to launch from the sea, those launch prices are quite low. Compared to the prices offered by American launch companies.

Would transporting all the launch equipment and the rocket to the top of a mountain and launching from there instead of at sea level, would the overall cost be less more or less of the cost of a regular launch from sea level 🚀

Here in Germany there is also a sealaunch project, but definitely not as advanced as China. But I think it's a good idea to get around all the NIMBYs

Those are decommissioned inter-continental missile from army, make good use of it after a little bit modification, then the army will have up to date ones.

You're the next generation Carl Sagan. How did you get such intel and videos from China?

Do you speak chinese or where do you get all these informations from ? :o

The new space race has begun

USA and Russia do shows, China does bussines.

Impression rocket launch

this guy is expert.

Why not just build more launch sites in Hainan, that would seem to be the most cost effective?

Thank you for this well made video! I have a question about your perspective if you don't mind my asking. I'm trying to learn about the objective reality of China as best I can. To this end I think it's important to hear from people with many different perspectives, both positive and negative. It seems to me that most English language coverage of china is negative. Negative perspectives are very important but too much can create a biased and nonobjective view. Therefor, I am trying to find more neutral or positive perspectives to help balance out the full picture for me. So, with the obvious caveats such as complexity and nuance understood would you say your overall perspective on China is very negative, mostly negative, completely neutral, mostly positive, or very positive? Thanks! And to reiterate, I'm only inquiring so that I can curate my media intake to be as balanced as possible.

very massive

LoL nobody getting past the FIRMAMENT

I would not want to be that close to a launch.

launch and land from sea, here we come

Isn't china building their own space hub in Hainan ? Is there any update regarding that ?

Do you think in the future that China could develop any of the islands in the South China Sea into a Spaceport, or would the logistics make the idea prohibitively expensive?

New video 🙌🏻📼

Brilliant Communist China PRC ! luv ya ! Chinese Commust Party, great organisation & management !💚

Reusable rocket + sea launch will bring best of both worlds

I don't understand why they lost it from a silk that makes it more vulnerable right

US: China Copies US 2030 Technology😂

There will be military applications for those. ICBM could be launch via the platforms, mobile launchers

Dayam, that ship's deck got absolutely wrecked by the solid rocket boosters. Debris flying everywhere LOL.

Sea launch and the ship barely moves how is that possible?

Thanks!

By 2017 China was able to domestically produce ball point pens.