Posted: Tue, Sep 15, 2009, 9:04 AM ET (1304 GMT)
China has started work on a new spaceport on the island of Hainan that may be the home of a new heavy-lift launch vehicle. Chinese officials broke ground Monday on the spaceport in Wenchang City, on the northeast coast of the island. The spaceport, expected to be completed in 2013, is designed for launches to geosynchronous orbit, officials said, citing its latitude of 19 degrees north, closer to the equator than existing Chinese spaceports. The site is also expected to host a planned heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Long March 5, that could also be used to support human spaceflight missions, including the launch of space station modules.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  AP article