BEIJING, 10th July, 2023 (WAM) — China's Long March rocket launch opportunity will be auctioned for the first time on Thursday in a move that experts believe will reduce the cost of commercial access to space and boost high demand for commercial space applications, reported Chinese newspaper Global Times.
"We will screen the qualifications of the enterprises, including their experience and their use for the space to ensure that the final products launched are contributing to the space industry," Zhang Peng, general manager of an aerospace new business information technology company affiliated with the China Great Wall Industry Corporation under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), told the state broadcaster CCTV.
The rocket participating in the auction is the Long March-6 carrier rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a CASC subsidiary. The rocket is expected to be launched by the end of this year, according to the CCTV.
The auction is set to kick off at 3 pm on Thursday, 13th July. The starting price is 80,000 yuan ($11,078) per kilogram.
Other rocket launch opportunities are scheduled for 2024, according to a list released by the CASC in April. There are a total of nine launch missions, providing different launch services for international and domestic markets, including "piggy-back" and "packet" launches.