Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (酒泉卫星发射中心) is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility (spaceport) in the Gobi desert in Gansu Province located about 1,600 km from Beijing. It was founded in 1958, making it China's first spaceport of three, compared with the later Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
Jiuquan is usually used to launch vehicles into lower and medium orbits, as well as medium- to long-range missiles.
The launch center has been the focus of many of China's successful ventures into space, including their first satellite Dong Fang Hong 1 in 1970, and their first manned space mission Shenzhou 5 on October 15, 2003.
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