Long March, expendable launch systems, China

[Administrator]

Long March-6 launches Geely-03

Sep 6, 2024

A Long March-6 launch vehicle launched 10 Geely Constellation Group 03 satellites (吉利星座03组卫星/ Geely-03, 吉利星座03) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 5 September 2024, at 18:30 UTC (6 September, at 02:30 local time). According to official sources, the 30 Geely satellites launched so far distributed across three orbital planes, enable “24-hour coverage of 90% of globe, officially launching satellite communication services for global users”.

 

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Long March-3B launches two BeiDou-3 satellites

Sep 19, 2024

A Long March-3B launch vehicle, with a Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage, launched two backup BeiDou-3 navigation satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 19 September 2024, at 01:14 UTC (09:14 local time). The two medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites (BeiDou-3 MEO-27 and MEO-28) are the 59th and 60th of the BeiDou family and the fourth and fifth to act as backup satellites for China’s BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3).

 

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Long March-2D launches Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B

Sep 20, 2024

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched six Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B satellites (“吉林一号”宽幅02B01-06) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 20 September 2024, at 04:11 UTC (12:11 local time). According to official sources, Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B01 (“吉林一号”宽幅02B01星, also known as Qilian-1 /祁连一号) is “the first satellite of Gansu’s first commercial satellite constellation “Qilian Series”, developed for Gansu’s ecological protection and economic development”. The Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B02-06 satellites are “the first ultra-large-width, high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites developed in small batches in China”.

 

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Long March-2D launches Shijian-19

Sep 27, 2024

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the Shijian-19 (实践十九号卫星) satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 27 September 2024, at 10:30 UTC (18:30 local time). According to official sources, Shijian-19 is China’s “first reusable and returnable test satellite” (首颗可重复使用返回式技术试验卫星).

 

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Long March-3B launches WHG-03

Oct 10, 2024

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched WHG-03 (卫星互联网高轨卫星03星, high-orbit internet services satellite) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 10 October 2024, at 13:50 UTC (21:50 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered its preset orbit successfully.

 

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Long March-6A launches SpaceSail Polar Orbit 02

Oct 15, 2024

A Long March-6A launch vehicle (LM-6A, 长征六号甲) launched the second group of 18 SpaceSail Polar Orbit satellites (千帆极轨02组卫星) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 15 October 2024, at 11:06 UTC (19:06 local time). According to official sources, the 18 satellites constitute the second batch of the first generation of the SpaceSail Constellation, developed by Shanghai SpaceSail Technologies Co., Ltd. to “provide global users with low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband internet services”.

 

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Long March-4C launches Gaofen-12 05

Oct 16, 2024

A Long March-4C launch vehicle launched the fifth Gaofen-12 Earth observation satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on 15 October 2024, at 23:45 UTC (16 October, at 07:45 local time). According to official sources, Gaofen-12 05 (高分十二号05) entered the planned orbit successfully and “will be used in a variety of fields including land surveys, urban planning, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster relief”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6 launches 3 Tianping-3 satellites

Oct 22, 2024

A Long March-6 launch vehicle launched three Tianping-3 satellites [天平三号A(01)、B(01)、B(02)/ Tianping-3 A(01), B(01) , B(02)] from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 22 October 2024, at 00:10 UTC (08:10 local time). According to official sources, Tianping-3 A(01) is “mainly used for ground radar equipment calibration and RCS measurement, provides support for ground optical equipment imaging experiments and low-orbit space environment detection experiments, and provides services for atmospheric space environment measurements and orbit prediction model corrections”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches Yaogan-43 03

Oct 23, 2024

A Long March-2C launch vehicle (长征二号丙) launched the third group of Yaogan-43 remote sensing satellites (遥感四十三号03, Yaogan-43 03) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 23 October 2024, at 01:09 UTC (09:02 local time). According to official sources, the satellites entered the preset orbit and will be “mainly used for carrying out tests on new technologies of low-orbit constellations”.

Yaogan on Wikipedia

 

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Long March-2F’s launch escape system

Oct 30, 2024

The Long March-2F (长征二号F) launch vehicle is designed to launch the Shenzhou crew spacecraft (神舟). The launch escape system (LES, also known as “launch abort system” – LAS) consists of an escape tower designed to take the spacecraft away from the launch vehicle in case of a launch anomaly.

 

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Long March-2C launches four PIESAT-2 satellites

Nov 9, 2024

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched four PIESAT-2 (航天宏图PIESAT-2 01~04星) satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), China, on 9 November 2024, at 03:39 UTC (11:39 local time). According to official sources, the PIESAT-02 01-04 satellites were designed and manufactured by Shanghai Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. for Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology Co.,Ltd. and are “mainly used for SAR imaging, with high-precision imaging capability”.

 

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Long March-4B launches Haiyang 4-01

Nov 14, 2024

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched Haiyang 4-01 (海洋四号01星/Ocean 4-01; 海洋盐度探测卫星/Ocean Salinity Detection Satellite) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, on 13 November 2024, at 22:42 UTC (14 November, 06:42 local time). According to official sources, “the satellite will fill the gap of China's high-precision global ocean-salinity detection capabilities, improve data collection on ocean dynamics and environmental factors, and boost the accuracy of China's marine forecasting products”.

 

[Administrator]

New Long March-9 concept

Nov 14, 2024

A new concept of the Long March-9 super heavy-lift launch vehicle was presented by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, Zhuhai, China.

 

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Long March-2C launches SuperView Neo 2-03 & 04

Nov 25, 2024

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched the SuperView Neo 2-03 and SuperView Neo 2-04 (四维高景二号03、04星 , Sìwei Gaojing-2 03, 04, “four-dimensional high-resolution”) remote sensing satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), Gansu Province, China, on 24 November 2024, at 23:39 UTC (25 November, at 07:39 local time). According to official sources, “the two high-resolution radar satellites mainly serve fields such as natural resources, urban safety, emergency management and maritime affair, providing users with rich data products and diverse application services”.

 

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The Long March-12 launch vehicle

Dec 2, 2024

Long March-12 (长征十二号, CZ-12) is a medium-lift launch vehicle powered by four 1250 kN thrust YF-100K liquid oxygen/kerosene engines on the first stage and two 180-kN thrust YF-115 liquid oxygen/kerosene engines on the second stage.

 

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Long March-12 first launch

Nov 30, 2024

The first Long March-12 launch vehicle (长征十二号遥一, Long March-12 Y1, CZ-12) launched two satellites from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site (海南商业航天发射场), Wenchang International Aerospace City, Hainan Province, China, on 30 November 2024, at 14:25 UTC (22:25 local time). According to CNSA, Long March-12 is China’s first 3.8-meter-diameter single-core liquid-propellant launch vehicle, with a two-stage configuration. The first stage uses four 1250 kN thrust YF-100K liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, and the second stage uses two 180-kN thrust YF-115 liquid oxygen/kerosene engines.

 

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Long March-3B launches TJSW-13

Dec 3, 2024

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched TJSW-13 (通信技术试验卫星十三号, Communication Technology Test Satellite 13) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 3 December 2024, at 05:56 UTC (13:55 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has entered the planned orbit and will be used for satellite communication, radio and television, data transmission and other related technology tests.

 

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Long March-6A launches SpaceSail 03

Dec 5, 2024

The Long March-6A Y22 launch vehicle (长征六号甲遥二十二, LM-6A Y22) launched the third group of 18 SpaceSail satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 5 December 2024, at 04:41 UTC (12:41 local time). According to official sources, the 18 satellites constitute the third batch of the first generation of the SpaceSail Constellation, developed by Shanghai SpaceSail Technologies Co., Ltd. to “provide global users with low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband internet services”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches High-speed Laser Diamond Constellation Test System

Dec 12, 2024

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the High-speed Laser Diamond Constellation Test System mission (高速激光钻石星座试验系) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 12 December 2024, at 07:17 UTC (15:17 local time). According to official sources, the five satellites entered the planned orbits and are a test for the planned High-speed Laser Diamond Constellation (高速激光钻石星座).

 

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Long March-5B launches SatNet LEO Group 01

Dec 16, 2024

The Long March-5B Y6 launch vehicle (长征五号B遥六), with a Yuanzheng-2 (远征二号上面级, Expedition-2) upper stage, launched the first group of SatNet LEO satellites (卫星互联网低轨01组卫星, Guowang constellation) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site Hainan Province, China, on 16 December 2024, at 10:00 UTC (18:00 local time).