China to develop satellite-delivery rockets from airplanes

China will develop a new generation of rockets that can be launched into space from an aircraft, a senior official said. Air-launched rockets can rapidly replace dysfunctional satellites or, in cases of disaster relief, quickly send up Earth observation satellites to assist in the effort, Li Tongyu, the head of carrier rocket development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, said. Engineers at the academy, which is the main developer of Chinese carrier rockets, have designed a model capable of sending a payload of about 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit, he said. They plan to design a larger rocket that could carry 200 kg into orbit. More

(Source: The Indian Express - Mar 8)