On March 14, a reporter learned from Harbin Engineering University that Dongfang Hengyuan, an offshore space launch command and measurement vessel designed and built under the leadership of HEU as the overall project lead, was successfully launched at Huanghai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The launch marks a new step forward for China in commercial space development, especially in the construction of offshore space launch capabilities.

As China’s first high-end offshore engineering vessel tailored for the full process of offshore space launch missions, Dongfang Hengyuan was invested in by Shandong Offshore Commercial Space Launch Service Co., Ltd. under Oriental Spaceport Group. The vessel has an overall length of 77 meters, a beam of 17.8 meters, a depth of 7.6 meters, a design draft of 4 meters, a design displacement of 3,200 tonnes, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and a maximum speed of 18 knots.

The vessel adopts a fully electric propulsion system with twin conventional shaft propellers and DP-2 dynamic positioning technology, enabling it to serve as a stable offshore “mobile command center” for launch command and scientific observation.

Dongfang Hengyuan can provide equipment support for territorial sea surveys, scientific research, marine hydrological training, and related missions. It can also support marine hydrological equipment research tests and major special missions. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in June, after which it will work together with the Dongfang Spaceport launch vessel to significantly improve the support capability and mission efficiency of China’s offshore launch system. During non-space-launch missions, it will operate with the Dongfang Hengjing offshore test platform to carry out marine scientific research, realizing “dual-use” functionality.

The successful launch of Dongfang Hengyuan also reflects HEU’s long-term research strength in naval architecture and ocean engineering. A series of HEU-developed technologies and research equipment, including the DP-2 dynamic positioning system, ultra-short baseline underwater positioning system, fiber-optic gyrocompass, and real-time vibration and noise monitoring system, have been applied to the vessel, transforming the university’s research achievements from “papers and drawings” into practical equipment and products.

Original Link: https://hlj.people.com.cn/n2/2026/0316/c220005-41524532.html