The Dongfang Hengyuan, a maritime aerospace launch command vessel and also a meteorological and marine test and research vessel, was launched recently in waters off the coastal city of Weihai, Shandong Province.
The vessel, developed and designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) under China State Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and constructed by Huanghai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., is scheduled to be delivered in June.
As the first vessel designed to serve the full process of offshore aerospace launch, it marks a great progress China has made in its maritime aerospace capability.
The Dongfang Hengyuan is China’s first maritime aerospace launch command vessel. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The vessel has cabins special for command, communications and marine weather forecast, as well as acoustic equipment and instrument storage. These enable it to play diverse roles of command, measurement and weather forecast during an offshore launch. With marine test and research capabilities, it can work with Dongfang Hengjing, an offshore experiment platform, to conduct scientific research, investigate China’s territorial waters and provide maritime professional training.
The vessel is fully fueled by electricity. Fitted with a Class 2 Dynamic Positioning System, it can cruise steadily under complicated sea conditions. The design team has made various technological breakthroughs in optimizing the vessel’s overall layout, coordinating complicated systems, achieving high-precision positioning and reducing noise, thereby making the Dongfang Hengyuan a reliable offshore aerospace launch platform. The vessel can also work with Dongfang Spaceport, an intelligent platform for rockets’ mobile launch and recycling throughout all sea areas, to enhance the stability and effectiveness of launch missions.
Once completed, the Dongfang Hengyuan will significantly improve the fast response capacity of China’s offshore launch, and enhance its environmental compatibility and reliability, thereby providing great support to the commercialization of the aerospace industry. SDARI will continue to make efforts in the R&D and design of high-end vessels to contribute more wisdom and strength to building China into an aerospace and maritime power.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
