The first satellite manufactured in Xichang is set to be completed this year. Zhang Haoxiang, Deputy General Manager of Xichang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., shared this update at the recent Western Commercial Space Port Development Conference held in Chengdu. At the Xichang Aerospace High-End Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park, the company, which aims for the stars, is now in its final sprint phase.
Standing at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Liangshan Prefecture is precisely targeting three key sectors: commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, and hydrogen storage and new energy. It is fully committed to building a "dream center" that integrates aerospace and green energy development.
In the commercial aerospace sector, Liangshan is accelerating the construction of a complete industrial chain, guided by the development of the Western Commercial Space Port. This chain spans from aerospace special materials, satellite and rocket manufacturing, and launch services to space information applications and aerospace cultural tourism experiences.
The Western Commercial Space Port Development Conference, themed "Commercial Aerospace: Stars Shine on Liangshan," attracted over 160 companies and research institutions. During the conference, Liangshan Prefecture released the "Western Commercial Space Port Development Plan (2025-2035)." The plan aims to establish high-density, high-safety, low-cost launch capabilities and a trillion-yuan industrial cluster by 2030, and to build a highly influential commercial aerospace industry hub by 2035.
The plan outlines a focus on constructing four key zones: launch site areas, launch service zones, industrial承载 zones, and cultural tourism expansion zones. It also emphasizes improving supporting infrastructure like transportation and energy, and fostering coordinated development with regions like Chengdu and Mianyang.
Released alongside the plan was the "Liangshan Prefecture Special Policy for Supporting Commercial Aerospace Industry Cluster Development (Trial)." This policy provides comprehensive support covering enterprise establishment, R&D innovation, application scenarios, and factor guarantees, facilitating the entire process from land acquisition and factory construction to launch, orbit entry, and market expansion.
On the same day, Liangshan also released a list of 15 major cooperation opportunities with a total investment exceeding 30 billion yuan. These opportunities involve six key projects: launch site infrastructure, rocket manufacturing, satellite digitalization and intelligence, ground systems, satellite applications, and aerospace tourism. Fifteen cooperation projects were signed on-site, covering critical areas such as aerospace materials, rocket and satellite development, commercial launches, computing centers, and ground equipment.
Sichuan Province's robust commercial aerospace industrial foundation and Liangshan's unique advantages in the aerospace sector attracted significant interest from attending enterprise representatives. "Our company specializes in space AI and will establish a full industrial chain project integrating 'AI + Aerospace' in Liangshan," said Song Bingchen, Co-founder of Oriental Star Chain Spatio-Temporal Intelligence (Shandong) Technology Development Co., Ltd. The company is optimistic about the Western Commercial Space Port platform, believing that locating the project there will better integrate industrial bases and production platforms with launch activities, fostering development.
The conference atmosphere was lively, and activity is equally intense at the Xichang Aerospace High-End Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park. Inside the workshop of Xichang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., there are no clouds of dust typical of traditional factories. Instead, clean rooms with constant temperature and humidity, alongside intelligent robotic arms undergoing调试, are the norm. "The total project investment exceeds 220 million yuan. Main construction is complete, equipment installation and debugging are finished, and we now possess manufacturing capabilities," stated Zhang Haoxiang.
The company has set two major goals for this year: first, to send the first 'Made in Xichang' satellite into space, and second, to achieve industrialized, batch production capability for satellites.
What is the basis for these ambitious goals? Zhang Haoxiang explained that on one hand, the company benefits from the "hardcore" technology brought by its parent company, Shenzhen MoFang Satellite Technology—specifically, a "shelf-style" modular design that allows satellite assembly akin to building blocks, significantly shortening production cycles. On the other hand, Liangshan Prefecture offers substantial policy support. According to the special policy, Liangshan has established a commercial aerospace industry fund with a total scale of no less than 4 billion yuan. Furthermore, a reward of 500,000 yuan is granted for each independently developed and successfully orbited satellite.
"After satellites leave the factory, they can be quickly transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, saving on transportation costs and shortening the development cycle," Zhang added. The development plan emphasizes building a complete industrial chain, including the Satellite Digitalization and Batch Production Manufacturing Project—constructing a super satellite factory to form a comprehensive satellite manufacturing产业链.
To accelerate its foray into this new sector, the 5,200-mu Aerospace High-End Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park has completed overall planning and commenced construction. The Xichang Satellite Factory is fully built, and key projects like the Galactic Energy "Integrated Satellite-Rocket Delivery Center" are progressing rapidly.
On this year's China Space Day, the Xichang Aerospace Metaverse Experience Hall, located in downtown Xichang, hosted a special charity screening of the documentary "Moonfall." Leveraging the venue's integration of "aerospace + technology + tourism," and combining aerospace cultural IP with光影 art, it offered aerospace enthusiasts an experience blending technological sophistication and humanistic warmth.
The experience hall has now become a popular destination for family trips. As the first aerospace-themed metaverse immersive experience hall in Southwest China, it utilizes the unique resources of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and integrates cutting-edge technologies like LBE, AR, VR, and XR to create a new aerospace tourism landmark dedicated to科普 education, immersive experiences, and cultural dissemination.
Focusing on the commercial aerospace industry, Liangshan aims not only to build a "dream factory" for aerospace researchers but also to create a "check-in destination" for aerospace enthusiasts.
Near the launch site of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Mianning County's Bayi Village, a dedicated rocket launch viewing platform has been built. Tens of thousands of tourists visit annually specifically to witness the spectacular moment of rocket launches. Capitalizing on this特色, the local area has launched aerospace study tours. Professional guides lead these tours, allowing children to touch real rocket debris, observe the ablation marks left from atmospheric re-entry, and participate in activities like simulated rocket assembly and astronaut training equipment experiences.
During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Mianning County has set "building a nationally renowned aerospace experience, study, and科技 tourism park" as one of its core goals. Plans include constructing project clusters such as a digital interactive exhibition hall, an aerospace cultural tourism industrial park, and an integrated aerospace-agriculture-tourism experience zone, striving to build a destination for aerospace-themed wellness tourism.
The vast starry sky fuels boundless dreams. Behind the "Aerospace Dream" of the Daliang Mountains lies solid industrial support and tangible benefits for people's livelihoods. From the signing tables in Chengdu to the production lines in Xichang, and the viewing platforms in Mianning, Liangshan is making every effort to polish its "Commercial Aerospace" name card.
**Three-Phase Development Goals:** * **By 2027 (Initial Formation Phase):** Achieve regular launch capability, exceed 30 billion yuan in aerospace sector output value, and form the雏形 of an industrial cluster. * **By 2030 (Leapfrog Enhancement Phase):** Reach a core industry output value of 40 billion yuan, drive related industry output to 60 billion yuan, and establish a trillion-yuan commercial aerospace industrial cluster. * **Future:** Strive to build a domestically leading, internationally renowned commercial aerospace industry hub.
**"Four Zones, One Support" Spatial Layout:** The Western Commercial Space Port will focus on constructing four main functional zones: Launch Site Areas, Launch Service Zones, Industrial承载 Zones, and Cultural Tourism Expansion Zones. Simultaneously, it will improve supporting infrastructure like transportation, energy, and communications, and coordinate with regional aerospace industry resources from areas like Chengdu and Mianyang.
**Six Major Capacity Building Projects:** 1. Implement Launch Site Infrastructure Guarantee Project. 2. Implement Carrier Rocket Manufacturing Agglomeration Project. 3. Implement Satellite Digitalization and Batch Production Manufacturing Project. 4. Implement Ground Application System Construction Project. 5. Implement Satellite Comprehensive Application Promotion Project. 6. Implement Aerospace Cultural Tourism Innovation Development Project.