As China prepares to increase its launch cadence further, there are plans to expand the facilities at both Xichang and Haiyang. Meanwhile, the first launch from the new Hainan commercial spaceport is expected very soon. Preparations are underway to launch the next crew to the Tiangong space station and return the trio of Shenzhou-18 taikonauts to Earth. Meanwhile, a reusable satellite capsule has also returned with experimental payloads and will be refurbished before flying again.
October began with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The National Day holiday and week-long celebrations, also known as “golden week,” are a holiday period for many who take the opportunity to travel and reunite with family. Launch and test teams at the various launch sites remained at their posts, however, to continue with pre-launch preparations. Three launches took place soon after, within five days — one from each of the country’s three main inland launch centers — bringing the total of launches from China this year to 49.