The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC), also known as Base 25 (), is a Chinese space and defense launch facility (spaceport) situated in Kelan County, Xinzhou, Shanxi Province. It is the second of four launch sites, having been founded in March 1966 and coming into full operation in 1968.
The facility was built as part of China's Third Front campaign to develop basic industry and national security in China's rugged interior in case of invasion by the Soviet Union or the United States.
Taiyuan sits at an altitude of 1,500 meters, and its dry climate makes it an ideal launch site. The site is primarily used to launch meteorological satellites, Earth resource satellites, and scientific satellites on Long March launch vehicles into Sun-synchronous orbits. TSLC is also a major launch site for intercontinental ballistic missiles and overland submarine-launched ballistic missile tests.
The site has a sophisticated technical center and mission command and control center. It is served by two feeder railways that connect with the NingwuâÂÂKelan railway.
Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center was to launch a satellite coded as the 03 Group of the Shijian-6 serial research satellites sometime on 24 October 2008. The rocket carrier was to be a Long March 4B, noting both the satellite and the rocket were in good condition and all the preparations for the launch had been completed.
The DongFang Spaceport () is a maritime launch center under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Its home port is in Haiyang, Yantai. It uses sea-launch platforms to perform launch missions in the exclusive economic zone outside China's territorial waters or in coastal waters. It can accept launch missions from private commercial rockets.
The first launch mission was serial number HY1 mission of Long March 11 on 04:06, 5 June 2019, which was successful in the Yellow Sea. The recent launch was the first launch of Gravity-1 on 13:30, 11 January 2024, which was successful in the Yellow Sea.