Wenchang International Aerospace City, one of the eleven key industrial parks in China’s southern Hainan Free Trade Port, is fast-tracking the development of many major projects in the area.

Wenchang International Aerospace City hosts the Wenchang Space Launch Site, a national satellite launch site completed in October, 2014. (Photo / Hainan Daily)

Projects under development include China’s first commercial spacecraft launch site, which has drawn much attention since construction began in June last year. The site has attracted investments totaling over 4 billion yuan (about $588 million). According to local authorities, the new facility is expected to begin operation in 2024 and serve as a complement to other space launch sites in the country.

Photo shows construction at the commercial spacecraft launch site in the Wenchang International Aerospace City. (Photo: Wu Yuewen / Hinews)

Meanwhile, ancillary facilities such as rocket and satellite assembly and testing sites are also being built in the area, which will reduce lag time before launches.

Other projects being built in the park include a satellite R&D center which just began construction in April, as well as a supercomputing center, which is currently in the equipment installation phase after the earlier completion of the exterior structure.

The supercomputing center construction site in Wenchang International Aerospace City. (Photo: Wu Yuewen / Hinews)

Wang Guangzhi, Deputy Director of the Wenchang International Space City Administration, said that the park is now home to more than 1,300 registered companies—including over 120 in the aerospace industry, such as the Aerospace Science & Technology Rocket Academy, the China Satellite Network Group, and CAS Space. He added that the park took in revenues amounting to 10.7 billion yuan (about $1.56 billion) last year, 3.9 times the total revenues in 2021.

“In addition, we are planning to develop the space tourism industry in the park, combining popular science education, aerospace experiences, study tours, and international exhibitions, which is still a new practice in China,” said Dong Chenghua, Executive Deputy Director of the Wenchang International Space City Administration.