Cohete Chino Gravity 1 (Yinli 1)

Video from the channel Leo Málaga - Observación Astronómica Mar del Plata about Gravity-1, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 4:06. Language: Spanish. Video type: News.

Excerpt from a programme in which Leo Málaga, from Observación Astronómica Mar del Plata, comments on the launch of the Gravity-1, also called Yinli-1 and considered the most powerful solid-propellant rocket in service. It was developed by OrienSpace, a Chinese private company founded in 2020 to put heavy payloads into orbit with its own launcher.

The rocket lifted off from a ship over 160 m long in the Yellow Sea, whose crew, of up to 60 people, leaves it before each launch. It placed three Yunyao weather satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km; they are expected to form a constellation of up to 90 satellites to study the upper atmosphere. The vehicle combines four strap-on solid boosters attached to a central stage that is also solid-fuelled.

The commentator points out that launching from the sea allows the platform to be positioned according to each mission, and sees OrienSpace as a future competitor in the satellite launch market.