Gravity-1 Y4 Launches at Sea, with the Xinyuan Air Dome Rocket Protection Cover Escorting the Mission to Success

On the morning of 22 July 2026, the Gravity-1 Y4 launch vehicle, independently developed by Orienspace, lifted off from waters of the East China Sea roughly 170 kilometres east of Shanghai. The mission marked the first far-sea launch for the Gravity-1 rocket, and China’s first commercial sea launch by a private company conducted in the East China Sea off the Yangtze River Delta. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

In this spaceflight campaign, the Xinyuan Air Dome rocket protection cover once again took on a critical role, giving Gravity-1 a close-fitting suit of armour with its outstanding protective performance, and forming a solid barrier for the rocket’s long-distance transfer across sea areas, during its standby period on station in far-sea waters, and full-process protection ahead of launch.

Unlike the previous two launches conducted in nearshore waters off Haiyang, Yantai in Shandong, this Gravity-1 Y4 mission saw the rocket carried aboard the launch vessel Dongfang Hangtiangang (Orient Spaceport) far out to waters of the East China Sea some 170 kilometres east of Shanghai. Far-sea voyages bring complex sea conditions, and the harsh marine environment — high salt spray, high humidity — sets a higher bar for protecting the rocket body and its precision equipment. Ensuring the rocket remained in optimal condition throughout the lengthy transfer and standby period became a question the launch team had no choice but to answer.

And the answer to that question was precisely the integrated air dome rocket protection cover researched, designed, manufactured and installed by Beijing Xinyuan Yijia Membrane Structure Technology Co., Ltd.

The air dome rocket protection cover is fabricated from high-strength membrane material capable of withstanding considerable impact forces, effectively preventing damage to the rocket from accidental collision or dropping during transport and storage. To meet the demanding conditions of a far-sea launch, the Xinyuan Air Dome technical team built multiple layers of protective capability into the cover — radio-wave transparency with anti-static properties, a fully sealed anti-corrosion envelope, lightweight reusable construction, and intelligent remote control. These four core strengths have made the air dome protection cover the standard dedicated protection solution for the Gravity-1 series of launch vehicles.

For commercial spaceflight, cost control and efficiency are perennial concerns — and in these aspects the Xinyuan Air Dome rocket protection cover delivers a remarkable answer. Compared with a conventional metal service-building-type protective structure, the air dome rocket cover can save tens of millions of yuan. Its lightweight flexible design folds down to a small footprint and can be reused, substantially reducing the cost of maintaining a controlled environment during transfer. The technology has not only delivered significant cost savings and efficiency gains for the Gravity-1 series programme, but has also opened up an entirely new field of application for inflatable membrane structures in rocket storage and transport.

In recognition of its outstanding technical innovation and application value, the Xinyuan integrated air dome rocket protection cover has received the 2024 Technology Innovation Award from the China Steel Construction Society and an Award of Excellence at the "Maker Beijing" 2025 SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. These honours represent authoritative recognition of Xinyuan Air Dome’s technical capability, and a strong endorsement of the protection cover’s importance within the aerospace supply chain.

In fact, the relationship between the Xinyuan Air Dome rocket protection cover and Gravity-1 goes back somewhat a long way. As early as January 2024, for Gravity-1’s maiden flight, the flexible inflatable membrane rocket protection solution supplied by Xinyuan Air Dome was already in successful service. It was the first exploration of inflatable membrane structures in rocket transport and storage anywhere in China, and the first public appearance of the Xinyuan rocket protection cover. From Y2 through to Y4, Xinyuan Air Dome has escorted the Gravity-1 series every step of the way, through the jolts of overland transport and the salt spray of coastal waters, earning the client’s trust through outstanding protective performance.

The successful launch of Gravity-1 Y4 in the East China Sea off the Yangtze River Delta marks China’s private commercial launch sector formally entering a new far-sea launch era — and once again confirms the outstanding protective performance and high reliability of the Xinyuan Air Dome rocket protection cover under complex environmental conditions. To the stars and the sea, Xinyuan Air Dome never stops moving forward!