Recently, China's first semi fixed rocket sea launch test platform, HOS-1 "Dongfang Spaceport One", was officially unveiled in Haiyang, Shandong, promoting the further development of China's liquid rocket testing and launch capabilities from land to sea.
The outside world believes that compared to traditional land test platforms and launch pads, this offshore platform not only helps solve many "pain points" of land launches, but also has core advantages such as maneuverability, controllable cost, safety and efficiency, and has become an important infrastructure in the era of commercial aerospace.
According to publicly available information, the platform is mainly used for the full process testing of the first stage system of liquid rockets, verifying many key links including static ignition, dynamic thrust adjustment, engine shutdown/restart, etc., achieving an integrated process from "sea testing" to "sea launch".
Specifically, the platform can meet the testing requirements of liquid oxygen kerosene or liquid oxygen methane propellant rocket first stage systems with a length of no more than 72 meters and a diameter of no more than 3.8 meters. It allows for a maximum testing time of 200 seconds and is flexible in adapting to most small and medium-sized rocket designs, marking a crucial step forward for China in the field of rocket sea testing technology.
In addition to sea trials, the platform can also be used for reusable rocket launch test missions, especially for verifying rocket vertical takeoff and landing technology. With the help of a semi fixed design, the platform is usually rooted in shallow waters and can be moved to workstations at depths of 2.5 to 9 meters during mission execution, ensuring effective avoidance of densely populated areas during relevant flight tests and certain unexpected situations.
