Smart Dragon 3 | Maiden Flight

The Smart Dragon 3, a new launch vehicle developed by China Rocket Co. Ltd., is set to conduct its maiden flight on December 9, 2022, at 06:35:00Z from an undisclosed pad at the Haiyang Oriental Spaceport. The mission will carry a test payload into Low Earth Orbit, primarily intended to validate the performance and reliability of the Smart Dragon 3's propulsion systems, guidance, and control. This mission is crucial for the commercial and scientific communities as it will provide critical data on the vehicle's capabilities, paving the way for future launches of small to medium-sized satellites. The Smart Dragon 3 is a variant of the Smart Dragon family, featuring a reusable first stage, marking a notable milestone in China's reusable launch technology development.

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