Gravity-1

Gravity-1
引力一号

Gravity-1 mission 1 launch 11 January 2024
Function	expendable medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Orienspace
Country of origin	China
Size
Height	29.4 metres (96 ft)
Diameter	2.65 metres (8.7 ft)
Mass	405 tonnes (893,000 lb)1
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to SSO (500km)
Mass	4,200 kg (9,300 lb)1
Payload to LEO (200km)
Mass	6,500 kg (14,300 lb)1
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	China Dongfang Spacecraft Launch Port
Total launches	2
Success(es)	2
Failure	0
First flight	11 January 2024

Gravity-1 (Chinese: 引力一号 or YinLi-1) is a solid-propellant expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed, manufactured and launched by Chinese aerospace company Orienspace. It can carry a payload of up to 6.5 tonnes (14,000 lb) to LEO or 4.2 tonnes (9,300 lb) to SSO, enabling the deployment of large-scale satellite constellations. The rocket has a height of 30 meters, a take-off weight of 400 tonnes, a take-off thrust of 600 tonnes,² and a fairing diameter of 4.2 meters.³ Its maiden launch was conducted from a sea launch platform in the Yellow Sea on January 11, 2024, breaking records as both the world's most powerful solid-fuel carrier rocket and China's most powerful commercial launch vehicle to date.⁴ Large pieces of debris were seen during the launch, which carried 3 Yunyao-1 meteorological satellites built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, as part of the planned 90-satellite Yunyao constellation.⁴³

Gravity-1 consists of seven solid rocket motors (SRB) in total. The first four side-mounted SRBs are ignited on the ground, while three core boosters are air-lit in sequence. The launch cost for Gravity-1 is around US$39 million. Gravity-1 has a quick-response-time of only five hours between manufacturing completion and launch. Orienspace has signed contracts for the launch of more than one hundred satellites.⁵ Gravity-1 is the most powerful rocket consisting of entirely solid-rocket motors.⁶ Due to the huge solid rocket motors, large plumes of smoke were produced during the launch.