At the 2023 Greater Bay Area Science Forum, Yang Yiqiang, the first commander-in-chief of the Long March 11 rocket, director of the Space Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chairman of Zhongke, revealed the latest plans of Zhongke in the Greater Bay Area (i.e. Guangzhou/Pearl River Delta) with with Southern + reporters.
Southern +: Zhongke is the first mixed-owner commercial aerospace enterprise in China. What do you think of the current situation of domestic commercial aerospace development?
Yang Yiqiang: 2015 should be the first year of China's commercial aerospace. After 8 years of development, we have gone through the initial "1.0 era" of technology manufacturing and product research and development, and ushered in the "2.0 era". The 2.0 era is dominated by the market and takes scale as the basic feature. At present, the carrying capacity of commercial rockets can reach more than one ton, which can undertake both commercial satellite launch missions and some national missions.
In July 2022, the "Shenjian-1" carrier rocket developed by the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Company was successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket is currently the largest solid launch vehicle in China. It has entered the world's advanced solid launch vehicle field in terms of carrying capacity, orbit accuracy, design reliability, cost performance, etc. In early June, we will launch the 26 stars with one arrow.
Nanfang+: In June last year, Zhongke Aerospace officially moved its headquarters to Nansha District, Guangzhou, becoming the first commercial aerospace unicorn enterprise in Guangzhou. What is the current layout of Zhongke Aerospace in the Greater Bay Area?
Yang Yiqiang: Our layout in the Greater Bay Area is mainly three: the company's headquarters has been moved to Nansha, which is our financing and listing platform in the future; Zhongke Aerospace (Guangzhou) Equipment Industry Co., Ltd. is also established in Nansha District, which will carry out rocket manufacturing and final assembly testing; in addition, we are in Guangzhou Conghua The construction of the research and development, testing, manufacturing and test of liquid engines is under construction, preparing to build a 400-ton thrust power system test platform and a 200-ton thrust engine test platform.
South +: Why choose Nansha and the Greater Bay Area?
Yang Yiqiang: First of all, the Greater Bay Area has an outlet. In the future, we will launch at sea, especially near the equator. There are location advantages here. At the same time, it also has good port and shipbuilding capabilities.
Secondly, Guangzhou itself has strong industrial strength and outstanding scientific and technological strength. It has well-known universities and scientific research institutions, and is also a gathering place for talents, which provides talent support for us to carry out technology research and development. It turns out that the company's move to the Greater Bay Area is a very correct decision.
Southern +: What impact can the layout of commercial space have on the development of the Greater Bay Area?
Yang Yiqiang: Aerospace is a comprehensive discipline that can drive the development of materials, software, chips and many other scientific fields. The breakthrough of rocket research and development and the development of the satellite industry can drive the progress of scientific research in related fields in the Greater Bay Area.
In terms of industry, the development of commercial aerospace can promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries and drive the development of emerging industries. In addition, as a technology and talent-intensive industry, commercial aerospace will also drive talent gathering.
Southern +: What suggestions do you have for the development of commercial aerospace industry in Guangzhou and Nansha?
Yang Yiqiang: At present, many regions of the country have successively introduced measures to promote the development of commercial aerospace, and Nansha District has also issued the "Nine Articles to Explore the Sky" (Support Measures for Promoting the Development of Commercial Aerospace Industry in Guangzhou Nansha New Area (Free Trade Zone)). In the future, we hope that Guangzhou will have a clear development goal and positioning, and strive to become the "first pole of China's commercial aerospace" with the advantages of the Greater Bay Area. Guangzhou can clearly propose the construction of "Southern Space Port", gathering rockets, satellite application enterprises and supporting industrial chains, and also contribute to the development of the national space industry.