A transport container for the Long March 5 rocket, which is produced by a Gangzha-based company [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

Transport containers for the Long March 5 rocket which was launched on Dec 27, 2019 in Wenchang, Hainan province, were produced by the Nantong subsidiary of China International Marine Containers Group, based in Gangzha district, Nantong, Jiangsu province.

A total of four types of containers are designed for the rocket, with the largest being 36.2 meters long, 6.4 m wide, and 6.6 m high. It is the largest container in the world, with a volume 40 times that of a standard container.

Although the Gangzha-based company has successfully produced large containers in the past, producing containers of this magnitude was still a challenge, as such containers have never been produced before.

The container must be much stronger than a common container, but should be relatively easy to operate. For example, the door, which weighed about 3.8 metric tons, must be able to be easily opened by a single person.

The containers are equipped with extra layers for heat preservation to keep the rocket at a constant temperature, and guide rails to conveniently transport supporting vehicles for the rocket.

Key components such as rocket boosters, fairings, and more, can all be transported together with the help of the containers.

The containers produced by the company were determined to be of high quality and were delivered according to the contract, said a high-ranking manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Co.