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New launch site for China

China is preparing to open a new launch site and other facilities in the Hainan island province, the south-eastern-most part of the country. Its proximity to the equator - lying about 20° north of it - gives Hainan an advantage in space launches. The closer a launch site is to the equator, the more of a boost a launcher gets from the Earth’s spin.

The province may be better known to westerners as the site of a tense standoff. In 2001, a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet near Hainan. Then a US Navy plane made an emergency landing in Hainan. Chinese officials detained the crew and the plane.

posted by: kyawoo at 21:08 | link | comments |
space science

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