Long March, expendable launch systems, China

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches Gaofen-9 02 and HEAD-4 satellites

May 31, 2020

A Long March-2D rocket launched two satellites, Gaofen-9 02 and HEAD-4, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 31 May 2020, at 08:53 UTC (16:53 local time). According to official sources, the satellites entered their planned orbits. Gaofen-9 02 is an optical remote sensing satellite capable of providing photographs with a resolution of about one meter. HEAD-4, developed by Beijing-based HEAD Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd., can carry out on-orbit information collection, including that on ships and aircraft, and the Internet of Things.

 

[Administrator]

China launches ocean observation satellite

Jun 11, 2020

A Chinese Long March-2C rocket launched the HY-1D ocean observation satellite on June 11, 2020 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches Gaofen-9 03 and HEAD-5 satellites

Jun 17, 2020

A Long March-2D rocket launched two satellites, Gaofen-9 03 and HEAD-5, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 17 June 2020, at 07:19 UTC (15:19 local time). According to official sources, the satellites entered their planned orbits. Gaofen-9 03 is an optical remote sensing satellite capable of providing photographs with a resolution of about one meter. HEAD-5, developed by Beijing-based HEAD Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd., can carry out on-orbit information collection, including that on ships and aircraft, and the Internet of Things.

 

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The last BeiDou-3 satellite launch

Jun 22, 2020

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the last BeiDou-3 navigation satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 23 June 2020, at 01:43 UTC (09:43 local time). The geostationary satellite is the 55th of the BeiDou family and the last satellite for China’s BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3). With the last satellite in orbit, the BDS-3 global constellation is considered completed.

 

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Long March-4B launches Gaofen Multi-Mode and Xibaipo 8102 satellites

Jul 3, 2020

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched a new Gaofen “high-resolution multi-mode integrated imaging satellite” and the “Popular Science Satellite” 8102 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 03 July 2020, at 03:10 UTC (11:10 local time). According to official sources, the satellites entered their planned orbits. Gaofen Multi-Mode is an optical remote sensing satellite, mainly used for high-resolution image acquisition. The Xibaipo “Popular Science Satellite” 8102 is mainly used for the popularization of aerospace science education.

 

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Long March-2D launches Shiyan-6 02

Jul 4, 2020

A Long March-2D rocket launched the second Shiyan-6 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 4 July 2020, at 23:44 UTC (5 July, at 07:44 local time). According to official sources, the Shiyan-6 02 (实验六号02) satellite entered its planned orbit and will be used for “space environment study and related technology experiments”.

 

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Long March-3B launches APStar-6D

Jul 9, 2020

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the APStar-6D satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 9 July 2020, at 12:11 UTC (20:11 local time). The Asia-Pacific 6D satellite (亚太6D, APStar-6D) is a high-throughput broadband communication satellite, sent into a geostationary orbit.

 

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Long March-5 Y4 launches Tianwen-1

Jul 22, 2020

The Long March-5 Y3 launch vehicle launched the Tianwen-1 mission from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan Province, on 23 July 2020, at 04:50 UTC (12:50 local time). Tianwen-1 is China’s first Mars exploration mission and includes an orbiter, a lander and a rover.

 

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Long March-4B launches Ziyuan III 03

Jul 25, 2020

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the Ziyuan III 03 satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 25 July 2020, at 03:13 UTC (11:13 local time). Ziyuan III 03 (资源三号03) is a new high-resolution mapping satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. It will join Ziyuan III 02 to form a network and capture high-definition 3D images and multispectral data. Also on board the rocket were two satellites used for dark matter detection and commercial data acquisition respectively. They were developed by the Shanghai ASES Spaceflight Technology Co. Ltd.

 

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Long March-2D launches Gaofen-9 04

Aug 6, 2020

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the Gaofen-9 04 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 6 August 2020, at 04:01 UTC (12:01 local time). Gaofen-9 04 is a new optical remote-sensing satellite with a resolution up to the sub-meter level. According to official sources, the satellite entered the planned orbit and will be mainly used for land surveys, crop yield estimation, disaster prevention and mitigation.

 

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Long March-4B launches Gaofen-11 02

Sep 7, 2020

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the Gaofen-11 02 Earth-observation satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 7 September 2020, at 05:57 UTC (13:57 local time). According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Gaofen-11 02 (高分十一号02) is a civil-use optical transmission three-dimensional surveying and mapping satellite that reaches the sub-meter level. The Gaofen-11 02 satellite entered the planned orbit and will be mainly used for land surveys, crop yield estimation, disaster prevention and mitigation.

 

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China launches 9 satellites from the Yellow Sea

Sep 15, 2020

A Chinese Long March 11 rocket launched nine Jilin-1 Gaofen 03-1 group satellites from
the Yellow Sea on September 15, 2020.

"China launches 9 satellites into space from ocean platform"

by Andrew Jones
September 15, 2020

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches HaiYang-2C

Sep 21, 2020

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the HaiYang-2C remote-sensing satellite rom the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 21 September 2020, at 05:40 UTC (13:40 local time). HaiYang-2C is China’s fifth remote-sensing satellite for ocean observation. Along with HaiYang-1C and HaiYang-1D, HaiYang-2C (海洋二号C, HY-2C) will help monitor ocean color and water temperatures, providing basic data for research on the global oceanic environment. According to CNSA, According to CNSA, HY-2C will be placed in an orbit with a 66-degree inclination, which will enhance its capability to revisit wind fields rapidly
Credit:China Central Television (CCTV)

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches Huanjing-2A and Huanjing-2B

Sep 27, 2020

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the Huanjing-2A and Huanjing-2B environmental monitoring satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China on 27 September 2020, at 03:23 UTC (11:23 local time). According to the satellite developer China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), HJ-2A and HJ-2B are 16-meter optical satellites that can provide 16-meter multispectral, 48-meter hyperspectral and infrared image data.

 

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Long March-2C launches Yaogan-30 Group 07 satellites

Oct 26, 2020

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched a new group of three Yaogan-30 remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 26 October 2020, at 15:19 UTC (23:19 local time). The satellites (遥感30号07组卫星) will work as part of a constellation for electromagnetic environment detection and related technological tests. According to official sources, the satellites have entered the planned orbits.

 

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Long March-3B launches Tiantong-1 02

Nov 12, 2020

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Tiantong-1-02 satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 12 November 2020, at 15:59 UTC (12 November, at 23:59 local time). Tiantong-1-02 (天通一号02) is the second mobile communication satellite designed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST ) and operated by China Satcom (China Satellite Communications Co. Ltd).

 

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Long March-3B launches Gaofen-14

Dec 5, 2020

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Gaofen-14 satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 6 December 2020, at 03:58 UTC (11:58 local time). Gaofen-14 (高分十四) is an optical stereo mapping satellite that can efficiently obtain high precision stereo images globally, draw large scale digital topographic map, produce digital elevation models, digital surface models and digital orthophoto images

 

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Long March 8 launches XJY-7

Dec 21, 2020

 

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Long March-4C launches Yaogan-33

Dec 27, 2020

A Long March-4C launch vehicle launched the Yaogan-33 remote-sensing satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 27 December 2020, at 15:44 UTC (23:44 local time). As a secondary payload, the mission launched a small technology test satellite. According to official sources, the satellites will be used for scientific experiments, land and resources surveys, agricultural production estimation, disaster prevention and mitigation.
Credit: CCTV/CNSA

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches Tiantong-1 03

Jan 19, 2021

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Tiantong-1 03 satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 19 January 2021, at 16:25 UTC (20 January, at 00:25​ local time). Tiantong-1 03 (天通一号03) is the third mobile communication satellite designed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and operated by China Satcom (China Satellite Communications Co. Ltd). According to official sources, the satellite was “sent into its intended orbit” and the mission was declared “a complete success”.