China's first commercial spaceport opens with rocket launch

CHONGQING -- China has debuted its first commercial spaceport, capable of launching 32 rockets of various sizes per year, on the southern island of Hainan in a bid to expand the country's space industry.

The Hainan space center launched its first test satellites on Saturday using the Long March 12, a new midsize rocket developed by state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., or CASC.