(Shandong, 12th) “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition!” As the countdown echoed over the sea, tens of thousands of tourists shouted in unison. The moment the words fell, the world’s largest solid-fuel launch vehicle roared into the sky, its flaming trail drawing every eye from the sea surface up toward the heavens.
On the 11th, the Gravity-1 Yao-2 carrier rocket was ignited and launched off the coast of Haiyang, Shandong, sending three satellites into their intended orbits.
As China's first sea-based launch mother port, Haiyang Oriental Spaceport in Shandong has so far supported 20 solid-propellant rocket sea launches, 3 liquid rocket static fire tests, and 2 flight recovery tests, collectively sending 130 satellites into space.
The space launch experience brought by sea launches has made Oriental Spaceport a popular new “rocket-chasing” check-in destination in China. Before the launch of this Gravity-1 Yao-2 carrier rocket, hotels near several spectator points were packed with visitors, and tour buses and private cars could be seen everywhere.
Each rocket launch brings a bustling scene of crowds and vehicles to the spaceport. On October 7, 2022, the Long March 11 launch vehicle completed China’s first nearshore solid-propellant rocket sea launch in Haiyang waters, and the local area hosted its first sea launch viewing event. Subsequent launches such as Ceres-1 “Haiyao-1”, Gravity-1 Yao-1, and Jielong-3 Yao-4 and Yao-5 also drew large numbers of visitors.
On the morning of the 11th, launch viewing areas such as Lianli Island, Phoenix Square, and Golden Sands Beach began receiving crowds early on. Photography enthusiasts set up telephoto lenses pointed at the rocket launch ship at sea, awaiting the instant of ignition; in front of various themed aerospace sign-in spots, tourists lined up for photos; local folk performances like the Haiyang yangko dance were staged, performers in “spacesuits” mascots interacted with the crowd; and in the cultural and creative area, there were nearly a thousand aerospace-themed items, including fridge magnets, paper cuttings, stationery, and scaled-down rocket models and puzzles.
Compared with land-based launches, sea launches offer broader views and a more unique experience for spectators. In order to convert the “instant flow” brought by sea launches into sustained enthusiasm for the cultural tourism industry, Haiyang City has been exploring integrated development of “aerospace + tourism.” Efforts include combining resources such as the rocket assembly plant, rocket launch ship, and satellite data industrial park by launching themed tourism routes and building an aerospace science popularization experience center.
Currently, themed hotels and aerospace research apartments are increasingly popping up in Haiyang. In shops nearby, specialty gift boxes with aerospace elements and creative cultural items printed with rocket images are hot sellers. Among them, a commemorative postal first day cover celebrating the successful Gravity-1 Yao-2 sea launch has become one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors.
These days, “space tourism” has become a new hotspot for China’s cultural tourism sector. Places like Jiuquan and Wenchang take advantage of land-based launch sites, allowing tourists to witness spectacular rocket launches in different landscapes, while Shandong’s Haiyang focuses on the “sea launch” experience, letting tourists watch rockets launch up-close from beachside. With its diverse forms, “aerospace tourism” not only satisfies public curiosity about space exploration, it also brings sustained “traffic” to local cultural tourism.
On the 11th, the Gravity-1 Yao-2 carrier rocket was ignited and launched off the coast of Haiyang, Shandong, sending three satellites into their intended orbits.
As China's first sea-based launch mother port, Haiyang Oriental Spaceport in Shandong has so far supported 20 solid-propellant rocket sea launches, 3 liquid rocket static fire tests, and 2 flight recovery tests, collectively sending 130 satellites into space.
The space launch experience brought by sea launches has made Oriental Spaceport a popular new “rocket-chasing” check-in destination in China. Before the launch of this Gravity-1 Yao-2 carrier rocket, hotels near several spectator points were packed with visitors, and tour buses and private cars could be seen everywhere.
Each rocket launch brings a bustling scene of crowds and vehicles to the spaceport. On October 7, 2022, the Long March 11 launch vehicle completed China’s first nearshore solid-propellant rocket sea launch in Haiyang waters, and the local area hosted its first sea launch viewing event. Subsequent launches such as Ceres-1 “Haiyao-1”, Gravity-1 Yao-1, and Jielong-3 Yao-4 and Yao-5 also drew large numbers of visitors.
On the morning of the 11th, launch viewing areas such as Lianli Island, Phoenix Square, and Golden Sands Beach began receiving crowds early on. Photography enthusiasts set up telephoto lenses pointed at the rocket launch ship at sea, awaiting the instant of ignition; in front of various themed aerospace sign-in spots, tourists lined up for photos; local folk performances like the Haiyang yangko dance were staged, performers in “spacesuits” mascots interacted with the crowd; and in the cultural and creative area, there were nearly a thousand aerospace-themed items, including fridge magnets, paper cuttings, stationery, and scaled-down rocket models and puzzles.
Compared with land-based launches, sea launches offer broader views and a more unique experience for spectators. In order to convert the “instant flow” brought by sea launches into sustained enthusiasm for the cultural tourism industry, Haiyang City has been exploring integrated development of “aerospace + tourism.” Efforts include combining resources such as the rocket assembly plant, rocket launch ship, and satellite data industrial park by launching themed tourism routes and building an aerospace science popularization experience center.
Currently, themed hotels and aerospace research apartments are increasingly popping up in Haiyang. In shops nearby, specialty gift boxes with aerospace elements and creative cultural items printed with rocket images are hot sellers. Among them, a commemorative postal first day cover celebrating the successful Gravity-1 Yao-2 sea launch has become one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors.
These days, “space tourism” has become a new hotspot for China’s cultural tourism sector. Places like Jiuquan and Wenchang take advantage of land-based launch sites, allowing tourists to witness spectacular rocket launches in different landscapes, while Shandong’s Haiyang focuses on the “sea launch” experience, letting tourists watch rockets launch up-close from beachside. With its diverse forms, “aerospace tourism” not only satisfies public curiosity about space exploration, it also brings sustained “traffic” to local cultural tourism.