Long March, expendable launch systems, China

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Long March-2D launches Yaogan-42 02

Apr 21, 2024

A Long March-2D rocket launched the Yaogan-42 02 remote sensing satellite (遥感四十二号02) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 20 April 2024, at 23:45 UTC (21 April, at 07:45 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the preset orbit.

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The Long March-8A launch vehicle

Apr 26, 2024

On 25 April 2024, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) revealed a new configuration of the Long March-8 launch vehicle: Long March-8A (长征八号甲). Long March-8A has two boosters and a payload capacity increased from 5 tons to 7 tons.

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Long March-6C first launch

May 7, 2024

The first Long March-6C rocket launched four satellites, HaiWangSAT-01 (海王星01星, Neptune-01), SmartSat-1C (智星一号C星/ 三江源一号卫星, Sanjiangyuan-1 Satellite), “wide-band optical satellite” (宽幅光学卫星) and “High Resolution Video Satellite” (高分视频卫星, GaoFen Shipin) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 7 May 2024, at 03:21 UTC (11:21 local time). The Long March-6C launch vehicle (长征六号丙) is a two-stage liquid-fueled (liquid oxygen/kerosene) rocket developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

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Long March-3B launches Smart SkyNet-1 01 (A/B)

May 9, 2024

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Smart SkyNet-1 01 (A/B) mission [智慧天网一号01星（A/B)] from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 9 May 2024, at 01:43 UTC (09:43 local time). According to official sources, Smart SkyNet-1 01 is “China’s first medium-orbit broadband communication satellite”, part of the “Smart Skynet” (智慧天网) network of 8 satellites deployed into 20000 km altitude orbits.

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Long March-4C launches Shiyan-23

May 12, 2024

A Long March-4C launch vehicle launched the Shiyan-23 satellite (试验二十三号卫星, “Experiment 23”) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on 11 May 2024, at 23:43 UTC (12 May, at 07:43 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has successfully entered the planned orbit and “will mainly be used for space environment monitoring”.