Shandong province is activating a new onshore control center to manage offshore rocket launches, marking China’s latest operational upgrade in its expanding commercial sea-launch capabilities.
The Shandong Offshore Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. Ltd. will officially inaugurate its Rizhao Command and Control Center ahead of an offshore mission scheduled between Oct. 21 and Oct. 23 off the coast of Rizhao. The mission will represent the first time local launch operations deploy a “land-command, sea-launch” framework, targeting a initial liftoff window around 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 21.
Located onshore as the operational core for sea launches, the new facility is equipped with dedicated telemetry, satellite communications, and wideband network systems. It will transmit real-time data between the offshore barge and ground staff, managing countdown protocols, ignition commands, and trajectory monitoring during the rocket’s ascent phase. Financial terms related to the development and ongoing sustainment of the facility have not been provided.
Commercial launch provider Galactic Energy will supply its solid-propellant Ceres-1 sea-launch rocket for the single-satellite mission. The vehicle is set to deploy the Xiguang-4 01 remote sensing satellite, developed by Xi’an Zhongke Xiguang Technology Group Co. Ltd., to provide high-resolution, all-weather Earth observation data for commercial clients.
The liftoff marks the second rocket launch conducted off Rizhao in 2026 and the eighth sea-launch support mission executed by Shandong Offshore Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. in the area. To date, offshore missions utilizing Ceres-1 and Smart Dragon-3 rockets off the coast of Rizhao have placed 50 satellites into orbit across seven successful launches.
Municipal authorities in Rizhao are using the validated coastal launch site to anchor a broader commercial space ecosystem, seeking to attract rocket assembly facilities, satellite manufacturing plants, and advanced aerospace material suppliers to the region.
