Long March, expendable launch systems, China

[Administrator]

China’s new rockets: Long March-9, Long March-8 and Smart Dragon

Published on Nov 8, 2018

China’s new rockets, Long March-9, Long March-8 and Smart Dragon, were presented at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Long March-9 (Chang Zheng-9) is a heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to carry a payload of 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit and 50 tonnes into Earth-Moon transfer orbit. China plans to launch Long March-9 around 2030. Long March-8 (Chang Zheng-8) is a medium-lift launch vehicle, expected to make its maiden flight in 2020. Smart Dragon No.1 or Lightning Dragon No.1 is the first rocket in the Lightning Dragon series, developed by ChinaRocket under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches BeiDou-3 MEO-17 and BeiDou-3 MEO-18

Published on Nov 18, 2018

A Long March-3B rocket launched BeiDou-3 MEO-17 and BeiDou-3 MEO-18 navigation satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 18 November October 2018, at 18:07 UTC (19 November at 02:07 local time). The satellites are the 42nd and 43rd in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), respectively the 17th and 18th for the BeiDou-3 system. China plans to launch six other BDS-3 satellites to the medium earth orbit, three satellites to the inclined geosynchronous earth orbit and two satellites to the geostationary earth orbit from 2019 to 2020.
Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches SaudiSat 5A, SaudiSat 5B and CubeSats

Published on Dec 7, 2018

A Long March-2D rocket launched SaudiSat-5A, SaudiSat-5B and several CubeSats from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 7 December 2018, at 04:12 UTC (12:12 local time).

 

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Long March-11 launches Hongyun-1

Published on Dec 21, 2018

A Long March-11 carrier rocket launched the Hongyun-1 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 21 December 2018, at 23:51 UTC (22 December, 07:51 local time). Hongyun-1 is the first satellite of the planned Hongyun (虹云, “rainbow cloud”) constellation, which seeks to establish a low-orbit broadband communication satellite system to improve internet connectivity. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) plans to launch another four experimental Hongyun satellites before the end of 2020 to form a small network for Hongyun’s trial run.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3C launches TJS-3 satellite

Published on Dec 24, 2018

A Long March-3C carrier rocket (Changzheng 3C, CZ-3C, 长征三号丙) launched the third communication technology test satellite (TJS-3) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, on 24 December 2018, at 16:53 UTC (25 December, 00:53 Beijing time). According to official sources, the satellite entered its designated orbit.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches Hongyan-1 and six Yunhai-2 satellites

Published on Dec 29, 2018

A Long March-2D rocket launched Hongyan-1 and six Yunhai-2 satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 29 December 2018, at 08:00 UTC (16:00 local time). Hongyan-1 is the first satellite of the Hongyan (鸿雁, “Wild Goose”) constellation, a global Internet constellation of 300 low-orbit small satellites planned to be completed by 2025. The six Yunhai-2 satellites will be used to study atmospheric environment, monitor space environment, prevent and reduce disasters, and conduct scientific experiments.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches ChinaSat-2D (Zhongxing-2D)

Published on Jan 10, 2019

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ChinaSat-2D satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 10 January 2019, at 17:11 UTC (11 January at 01:11 local time). ChinaSat-2D or Zhongxing-2D (中星2D) is a communications satellite operated by China Satellite Communications.

 

[Administrator]

Chang’e-4 landing explained

Published on Jan 12, 2019

Zhang Hongbo, chief designer of Chang’e-4’s ground application system, explains Chang’e-4’s landing in the Von Karman Crater, located in the Aitken Basin, in the South Pole region on the far side of the Moon, on 3 January 2019, at 02:26 UTC (10:26 Beijing time).

 

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Long March-11 launches Jilin-1 Spectrum 01/02, Lingque-1A and Xiaoxiang-1 03 satellites

Published on Jan 21, 2019

A Long March-11 launch vehicle launched Jilin-1 Spectrum 01/02, Lingque-1A and Xiaoxiang-1 03 satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 21 January 2019, at 05:42 UTC (13:42 local time). The Jilin-1 (吉林一号) payload includes Spectral 01 (光谱01) and Spectral 02 (光谱01), two multispectral imaging satellites, along with Lingque-1A (灵鹊-1A), the first verifying satellite for the Lingque Constellation planned by Beijing ZeroG Technology Co., Ltd, and Xiaoxiang-1 03 (潇湘一号03), a technology test satellite developed by Spacety Co., Ltd.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches ChinaSat-6C (Zhongxing-6C)

Published on Mar 10, 2019

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ChinaSat-6C satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 9 March 2019, at 16:28 UTC (10 March at 00:28 local time). Sent into a geostationary orbit, ChinaSat-6C or Zhongxing-6C (中星6C) is a communications satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and will be operated by the China Satellite Communications Co., Ltd. It can cover China, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific island countries. The launch marks the 300th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TianLian-2 01 satellite

Published on Mar 31, 2019

A Long March-3B rocket launched the TianLian-2 01 satellite (天链二号01星) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 31 March 2019, at 15:51 UTC (23:51 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered the desired geosynchronous orbit. TianLian-2 01 is the first satellite of China’s second-generation data relay satellite system. It will provide data relay and transmission services for manned spacecrafts, satellites and launch vehicles.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches two Tianhui II-01 satellites

Published on Apr 30, 2019

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched two Tianhui II-01 satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 29 April 2019, at 22:52 UTC (30 April, 06:52 local time). According to official sources, the Tianhui II-01 satellites will be used for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, geographic surveys, and mapping.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3C launches BeiDou-2 GEO-8 satellite

Published on May 17, 2019

A Long March-3C launch vehicle launched the BeiDou-2 GEO-8 navigation satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, China, on 17 May2019, at 15:48 UTC (23:48 local time). The new satellite is the fourth BeiDou-2 backup satellite and the 45th satellite of the BeiDou satellite family. According to official sources, the satellite entered its designated orbit.

 

[Administrator]

China launches satellites from sea for first time

Published on Jun 5, 2019

A Chinese Long March-11 rocket launched 7 satellites from a platform in the Yellow Sea off Shandong Province on June 5, 2019. It launched "two technology experiment satellites and five commercial satellites into space," according to China Central Television (CCTV)

 

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Long March-3B launches BeiDou-3 IGSO-2

Published on Jun 24, 2019

A Long March-3B rocket launched the second BeiDou-3 navigation satellite in an Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (BDS-3 IGSO-2), from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 24 June 2019, at 18:05 UTC (25 June, at 02:05 local time). BDS-3 IGSO-2 is the second BeiDou-3 navigation satellite to be positioned in an Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit.
Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches new Yaogan-30 satellites

Published on Jul 26, 2019

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched a new group of Yaogan-30 remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 26 July 2019, at 03:57 UTC (11:57 local time). According to official sources, the satellites have entered the planned orbits, and will be used for electromagnetic environment detection and related technological tests.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches ZY-1 02D satellite

Published on Sep 12, 2019

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched ZY-1 02D Earth-observation satellite and two small satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 12 September 2019, at 03:26 UTC (11:26 local time). According to official sources, ZY-1 02D will provide observation data for natural resources asset management, ecological monitoring, disaster prevention and control, environmental protection, urban construction, transportation and contingency management. The small satellite BNU-1 was developed by Beijing Normal University and the other satellite belongs to a Shanghai-based private space technology company. Both have an expected lifespan of one year.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-11 launches five new Zhuhai-1 satellites

Published on Sep 19, 2019

A Long March-11 launch vehicle launched five new Zhuhai-1 remote sensing satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, on 19 September 2019, at 06:42 UTC (14:42 local time). Zhuhai-1 is a commercial remote sensing satellite constellation, planed to have 34 micro-nano satellites that will provide data service for areas including agriculture, land and water resources, environmental protection, and transportation. The newly launched satellites, developed by Zhuhai Orbita Aerospace Science & Technology Co, comprise four hyperspectral satellites with 256 wave-bands and a coverage width of 150 km, and a video satellite with a resolution of 90 centimeters.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launched two new BeiDou-3 satellites

Published on Sep 22, 2019

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched two new BeiDou-3 navigation satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 22 September 2019, at 21:10 UTC ( 23 September, at 5:10 local time). The BeiDou-3 MEO-19 and BeiDou-3 MEO-20 satellites are the 47th and 48th in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), respectively the 19th and 20th for the BeiDou-3 system. China plans to complete the BDS global network by 2020.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches the Yunhai-1 02 satellite

Published on Sep 25, 2019

A Long March-2D rocket launched the Yunhai-1 02 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 25 September 2019, at 00:54 UTC (08:54 local time). The Yunhai-1 02 satellite (云海一号02) will be mainly used for studying the atmospheric, marine and space environments, as well as disaster control and other scientific experiments. Zhang Zhifen, the director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, declared: "Based on the assessment of the launch, I declare this mission a complete success!"