Launches / Smart Dragon 3
Smart Dragon 3, flown by China Rocket Co. Ltd.
This was China Rocket Co. Ltd.'s fourth launch of 2025, and its ninth in all.
Counting every operator, it was the 220th orbital launch attempt anywhere in 2025, and the fourth from Rizhao offshore launch location.
12 LEO communications satellites for Chinese car manufacturer Geely Automotive for testing autonomous driving/inter-vehicle communication services. They also carry payloads for ocean observation.
Smart Dragon-3 is a solid fuel orbital rocket designed by a subsidiary of the state-owned CASC group built for the commercial market.
China Rocket Co. Ltd.
China Rocket Co. Ltd. is a spinoff of China’s state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer using a “commercial business model”.
13 launches so far, 13 of them successful. The last 13 in a row went to plan.
It went up from Rizhao offshore launch location at Haiyang Oriental Spaceport.
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