Hohhot city's lofty aerospace ambitions take flight

Hohhot is getting into many different aspects related to the aerospace industry. Here, breeding experiments are carried out on mutant seeds from space. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hohhot is said to be a city deeply rooted in the country's aerospace history. Currently it's also making significant strides in the aviation and aerospace industry.

On May 21, the Qingcheng-1 satellite, developed by Inner Mongolia Aerospace Technology, was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Carried aloft by a Kuaizhou-11 solid rocket, the satellite is said to mark the official start of Hohhot's "Haotian Constellation" plan.

The Qingcheng-1 is designed to support applications in environmental monitoring, agriculture, natural resources management, transportation, tourism, emergency responses and smart city infrastructure in Inner Mongolia.

The establishment of the Hohhot Aerospace Economic Development Zone on March 25, 2023, is viewed as underscoring the city's commitment to advancing aerospace technology and innovation.

Leveraging the technical prowess of the Aerospace Sixth Academy, renowned for developing China's first solid-propellant rocket engines, the zone aims to foster commercial aerospace, the low-altitude economy and high-end manufacturing industries.

This year, the development zone will initiate several key projects, including the Aerospace Avenue, standardized factories, a technology innovation building and the Beidou Building.

The initiatives are set to bolster Hohhot's aerospace capabilities and contribute to China's broader aerospace ambitions.

With a focus on future industries like AI, commercial aerospace and advanced materials, it's widely said that Hohhot is poised to become a pivotal player in China's aerospace sector.