China’s First Offshore Liquid Rocket Launch Platform: A Game-Changer for Commercial Aerospace

• Location: Artificial island 3km off Haiyang coast, Yantai
• Primary Function: First-of-its-kind offshore liquid rocket launch and recovery
• Key Milestone Date: Completion by February 5, 2026
• Current Workforce: Over 150 employees on-site
• Infrastructure Depth: 17-meter deep flame deflector trench

China is making serious moves in the commercial space race.

For the first time ever, “accelerating the construction of a major space power” has been included as a key national task in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

And right now, in a coastal city in Shandong Province, something historic is being built.

Workers at the Oriental Aerospace Port (Dongfang Hangtian Gang 东方航天港) in Haiyang (Haiyang Shi 海阳市), Yantai (Yantai 烟台), are racing to complete China’s first-ever offshore liquid rocket launch and recovery experimental platform.

This isn’t just another construction project.

It’s a fundamental shift in how China approaches commercial space launches—and it could reshape the entire industry.

Why This Platform Matters: Liquid Rockets vs. Solid Rockets

Before we dive into the engineering specifics, let’s talk about why this platform is such a big deal.

The Oriental Aerospace Port has already completed 22 successful offshore launches—but they’ve all used solid-fuel rockets.

Here’s the catch with solid rockets:

• High mobility and flexible launch methods
• Limited payload capacity—they can’t carry as much
• Not recoverable—one-time use only

Liquid rockets, on the other hand, are game-changers:

• Much larger carrying capacity—can transport heavier payloads
• Recoverable and reusable—launch multiple times
• Cost-effective over time due to reusability

Think of it this way: solid rockets are like single-use phones, while liquid rockets are like smartphones you can charge and use repeatedly.

For building satellite constellations—which is the future of global connectivity—reusable liquid rockets are essential.

That’s why the commercial aerospace (Shangye Hangtian 商业航天) sector in China has made reusable liquid rocket launches their primary focus.

Inside the Platform: Engineering Marvel Meets Practical Innovation

So what makes this platform tick?

Let’s break down the technical components that make this facility unique:

The Hydraulic Foundation Pit

At the base of the platform sits a hydraulic foundation pit approximately 7-8 meters deep.

Inside this pit are four massive hydraulic erecting cylinders.

Their job?

Flip several hundred tons of liquid rockets 90 degrees—from a horizontal position to a vertical launch position.

This isn’t some gentle tilt.

We’re talking about rotating massive, fuel-laden rockets with precision and control.

The Flame Deflector System

When a rocket ignites, things get extremely hot.

That’s where the flame deflector trench comes in.

This specialized trench reaches 17 meters deep and serves a critical purpose:

• Directs rocket exhaust flames—reaching over 3,000 degrees Celsius—away from the structure
• Protects the launch facility from thermal damage
• Prevents infrastructure degradation from repeated launches

The Water Cooling System

A circular nozzle system surrounds the launch area.

This system uses high-pressure water sprays to rapidly cool the rocket exhaust.

Why water?

Because it’s incredibly effective at:

• Lowering exhaust temperatures
• Reducing engine noise pollution
• Protecting equipment and facilities

It’s a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem—and it works beautifully.

The Construction Race: Over 150 Workers, One Deadline

Currently, more than 150 workers are operating around the clock to meet the construction schedule.

The goal is clear: complete the platform and begin trial operations by February 5, 2026.

Around the Lunar New Year in 2026, a mainstream domestic commercial liquid rocket will undergo the first offshore launch and recovery test in China’s history.

This is massive.

Not just for China, but for the global commercial space industry.

If successful, it proves that China can recover and reuse liquid rockets at scale—something that dramatically reduces launch costs.

Why This Location? Safety Meets Innovation

The Oriental Aerospace Port is built on an artificial island surrounded by the sea.

It’s roughly 3 kilometers from the mainland with no permanent residents.

This wasn’t random.

The location was chosen specifically because it meets all necessary safety requirements for launching and recovering massive rockets.

Distance from populated areas?

Check.

Room for expansion?

Check.

Access to water and fuel storage?

Check.

The Full Facility: More Than Just a Launch Pad

The Oriental Aerospace Port isn’t a one-trick pony.

The facility includes multiple functional zones:

• Liquid rocket launch and recovery experimental platform (the main event)
• Fuel storage areas for:
  • Liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen
  • Kerosene
  • Methane
• Support infrastructure including:
  • Fuel loading systems
  • Pressurized delivery mechanisms
  • Pipeline purging equipment

In other words, everything needed to support commercial liquid rocket launches is already in place or under construction.

The Bigger Picture: Shandong’s Aerospace Dominance Strategy

The Oriental Aerospace Port has already sent 137 satellites into space.

That’s not a small number.

But what’s more impressive is the vision behind it.

Shandong Province (Shandong Sheng 山东省) is building a full-chain aerospace ecosystem.

The strategy is straightforward:

• Offshore launch leadership (Oriental Aerospace Port handles launches)
• Synergistic satellite and rocket manufacturing (building the hardware locally)
• Expanded aerospace applications (using those satellites for real-world services)

The result?

A commercial aerospace industrial corridor spanning multiple cities:

• Yantai (Yantai 烟台) — Home to the Oriental Aerospace Port
• Jinan (Jinan 济南) — Core manufacturing hub
• Qingdao (Qingdao 青岛) — Secondary hub for aerospace production
• Tai’an (Tai’an 泰安) — Supporting logistics and manufacturing
• Dezhou (Dezhou 德州) — Additional production capacity

China isn’t just building a launch pad.

It’s building an entire aerospace economy.

What This Means for the Industry

When this platform becomes operational in early 2026, several things will shift:

• Launch costs will drop significantly as reusable rockets enter the mix
• Satellite constellation deployment will accelerate worldwide
• China will join the reusable rocket club alongside SpaceX and other international players
• Competition in commercial space will intensify dramatically

This is more than just engineering.

This is geopolitics, economics, and technology all converging at a single point.

And it’s happening right now in Shandong Province.

References

• China’s first offshore liquid rocket launch and recovery platform under construction – CCTV News (Zhongyang Shiti Tai 中央电视台)
• Official Development Projects – Oriental Aerospace Port (Dongfang Hangtian Gang 东方航tian 港)
• China Space Industry Updates – China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (Zhongguo Hangtian Keji Jituan 中国航天科技集团)