As one of the country’s key projects, the newgenerationlaunch vehicle industrializationbase is supposed to be a high-tech-orientedhub, centering on the new-generation carrierrocket research and production and combiningmilitary and civil usages. It will focus onR&D and assembly of new-generation 5-meterdiametercarrier rocket. At present, the storagetank welding assembly factory in the firstphaseproject is being piled. It will be finishedin 2009.

As one of the 2008 key industrial projects inTianjin, the new-generation launch vehicle industrializationbase is located in the west partof TEDA.

The project has been going on smoothly sinceit was launched on October 30, 2007. The scaleof first-phase construction is about 200,000square meters, meeting various requirementsof test manufacturing, general assembly andtest launch of the new-generation vehicle. Thesecond phase may cover an area of 300,000square meters, which will be put under constructionin accordance with the demand ofnational aviation industry.

Recently, Tianjin Municipal Government, joininghands with State Administration of Science,Technology and Industry for National Defense,signed an agreement of “establishing an overallstrategic cooperation framework”, enablingChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology(CALT) to carry out a series of civil projects inthe Binhai New Area.

Experts analyze that new-generation launchvehicle industrialization base project is one ofthe important measures to help TEDA carryout the agreement of “establishing an overallstrategic cooperation framework” signedby Tianjin Municipal Government and StateAdministration of Science, Technology and Industryfor National Defense. It will also furtherraise the level of industry structure and modernmanufacturing in TEDA.

The finish of the project will accelerate the developmentof Binhai New Area, promote the advancementof high-tech industry and raise thelevel of industry structure in Tianjin. Meanwhile,it will help push forward China aviation technologyindustrialization and participation in internationalcooperation and aviation undertakings.

Compared with common rockets, the newgenerationlaunch vehicle has made improvementin the following three aspects: first,encouraging the use of environment-friendlyengine technology so as to be non-toxic andnon-polluting; second, model design, complyingwith launch conditions of loads of differentweights and giving more choices and increasingflexibility; third, enhancing reliability andrate of successful launch.

The construction of the new-generation launchvehicle industrialization base is one of the nationalkey projects. It is expected to lay the basisfor new-generation launch vehicle research,which will be built into an important hub foraviation technology of military and civil products.To some extent, the project will representthe highest level of aviation equipment manufacturingin China.

It is said that a corridor will be built for gueststo visit the base. With necessary precautionmeasurement taken, visitors can enjoy the assemblingprocess of “huge rocket”. To visit bigrocket in the Binhai New Area will become aselling point of tourism industry.