Design of C3I System for Intelligent Space Launch Sites

China’s aerospace industry has been experiencing a swift advancement, pushing the envelope in the realms of space science, technology, and applications. This innovation wave has created a significant influence further bolstering the long-term strategic vision towards the construction of advanced space stations, and has breathed life into ambitious scientific and technological satellite launch missions. Consequently, China is witnessing a surge in the frequency of space launches translating into a substantially heightened demand on the functional capabilities of space launch sites. Aligning closely with the rapidly developing digital technologies, such as cloud computing and big data, the transformation of China’s space launch sites into a modern and dynamic digital and information-based infrastructure has gained momentum. The end-goal fuelling this transformation is the establishment of the so-called “intelligent launch sites”, a vision sought to be achieved through widespread upgrading and renovation efforts. Amid this digital metamorphosis, the launch site information system emerges as a critical pillar, indispensable for catalysing the integration of “intelligence” into the launch site operations, with a key focus on the C3I system, the cornerstone of the entire information infrastructure. In terms of the design approach for intelligent launch site’s C3I systems, this article presents the overall design concept, a three-layer information system architecture consisting of foundation support layer, data resource layer and business application layer and propose a technical selection strategy from the perspectives of software and hardware environment, database selection, data structure design, and the functional and logical design of business applications. It also provides supplementary analyses from the perspectives of system reliability, scalability, and intelligence, and proposes subsequent construction approaches. By optimizing the design of the launch site information system, the launch service capability can be enhanced, and the launch resources for space missions and scientific explorations can be enriched. The research findings can serve as a reference for future launch site construction and upgrade projects, and provide robust launch service guarantees for China's future aerospace missions and space exploration tasks.