Moon mission delay a hiccup, but Chinese rocket city Wenchang remains on the march
For generations, Wenchang, on Hainan’s northeastern coast, was better known for coconuts, its namesake chicken and the emigrants who left for Southeast Asia in search of a living. Now the rhythms of life here have been altered, gradually and then all at once, by China’s space programme. Wenchang Space Launch Site staged its first launch in 2016. Since then it has become one of the country’s top…
Wenchang, a coastal town on Hainan Island, has undergone significant transformation due to China's space program. The town's main launch site, Wenchang Space Launch Site, has become a prominent destination for rocket launches. One of the key upcoming missions, Chang'e-7, which aims to drill for ice near the moon's south pole, was initially scheduled for a launch on Monday but was postponed due to safety and reliability checks.
The Long March 5 Y14 rocket, which was to carry the Chang'e-7, returned to the vertical assembly building around 4pm on the delayed day.
The excitement was palpable as space enthusiasts and school students gathered near the reservoir dam, about two kilometers away from the launch pad. A young boy with a model rocket and monocular appeared to be more enthusiastic than the others. Despite the postponement, the launch site remains a symbol of China's growing space ambitions. The Long March 5 rocket, nearly 60 meters tall and nicknamed the "Fat Five," is an important heavy-lift rocket in China's space program.
The town's landscape, once dominated by coconut palms and grazing cattle, now shares the space with the massive rocket. The moon, which was the intended destination for the Chang'e-7, appeared in the afternoon sky. Watching the rocket, one feels a sense of awe and curiosity about space exploration, transcending boundaries of nationality and ethnicity.
The residents of Wenchang have grown accustomed to the disruptions caused by rocket launches, with some households receiving compensation for the inconvenience. The launch site has spurred industrial growth, with the establishment of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site and the development of a commercial aerospace city. Rocket tourism has become popular, with hotel and guest-house prices surging during major launches.
The town is also seeing improvements in infrastructure, such as the construction of a General Hospital of the highest tier and new flats for professionals in the aerospace industry.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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