Chinese Startup Orienspace Launches First Sea-Based Rocket
- Mid-sized rocket takes off near northeastern city of Haiyang
- China sees offshore missions as a major part of space strategy
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A Chinese space startup launched its first rocket from a marine platform in the Yellow Sea, intensifying a race among local companies attempting to compete with foreign firms such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Gravity-1, a mid-sized rocket made by Beijing-based Orienspace, took off from a ship near the coast of the northeastern city of Haiyang at 1:30 p.m. local time and sent three satellites into orbit, according to state media.