Long March, expendable launch systems, China

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches Yaogan-30-10 and Tianqi-15

Jul 19, 2021

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched the 10th group of Yaogan-30 remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 19 July 2021, at 00:19 UTC (08:19 China Standard Time). The satellites (遥感三十号10) 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. The mission also launched the Tianqi-15 satellite (天启星座15), part of the Tianqi/Apocalypse Constellation.

 

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Long March-2D launches TianHui-1 04

Jul 29, 2021

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the TianHui-1 04 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 29 July 2021, at 04:01 UTC (12:01 local time). TianHui-1 04 (天绘一号04) is an Earth-observation satellite. According to official sources,

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6 launches two KL-Beta satellites

Aug 4, 2021

A Long March-6 launch vehicle launched two satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 4 August 2021, at 11:01 UTC (19:01 local time). The KL-β-A and KL-β-B satellites (KL-Beta-A and KL-Beta-B, 贝塔卫星) have been developed by Shanghai Engineering

 

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Long March-3B launches ChinaSat-2E (ZhongXing-2E)

Aug 5, 2021

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ChinaSat-2E satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 5 August 2021, at 16:30 UTC (6 August, at 00:30 local time).

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches TianHui-2 02

Aug 19, 2021

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the TianHui-2 02 satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 18 August 2021, at 22:32 UTC (19 August, at 06:32 local time). TianHui-2 02 (天绘二号02) is the second group of two TianHui-2 Earth-observation satellites. According to official sources, the satellites have been successfully sent into the scheduled orbits and will be “mainly used for scientific experimental research, general survey of land and resources, geographic information mapping and other tasks.”
Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation(CASC)

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches three satellites

Aug 25, 2021

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched three communication satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 24 August 2021, at 11:15 UTC (19:15 local time). According to official sources, the three “communication technology test satellites” were successfully placed into the desired orbits. For this mission, the Long March-2C launch vehicle had a Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage and a 4.2m diameter fairing.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TJSW-7

Aug 25, 2021

A Long March-3B launch vehicle launched the Communication Technology Test Satellite 7 (TJSW-7) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 24 August 2021, at 15:41 UTC (23:41 local time). According to official sources, the satellite has successfully entered the planned orbit. TJSW-7 (通信技术试验卫星七号) will be “mainly used to carry out communication technology test missions”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4C launches Gaofen-5 02

Sep 7, 2021

A Long March-4C launch vehicle launched the second Gaofen-5 satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 7 September 2021, at 03:01 UTC (11:01 local time). Gaofen-5 02 (高分五号02) is a hyperspectral imaging satellite, capable of monitoring air pollution. According to official sources, the satellite has entered its planned orbit successfully.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches ChinaSat-9B (ZhongXing-9B)

Sep 9, 2021

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ChinaSat-9B satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 9 September 2021, at 11:50 UTC (19:50 local time). ChinaSat-9B or ZhongXing-9B (中星9B) is a communications satellite operated by China Satellite Communications and designed to will replace the ChinaSat-9A satellite. According to official sources, the satellite was placed in the desired orbit.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches Xihe and 10 small satellites

Oct 14, 2021

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the Chinese Hα Solar Explorer (CHASE) and 10 small satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 14 October 2021, at 10:51 UTC (18:51 local time). CHASE, also known as Xihe (羲和) after the goddess of the Sun who created the calendar in ancient Chinese mythology, is China’s first space-based solar observatory. For the first time on a Long March-2D launch vehicle, grid fins were used to control the descent of the first stage, with the goal of reducing the landing area.
Credit: China Media Group(CMG)/China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Solar Exploration Science and Technology Test Satellite (太阳探测科学技术试验卫星)

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches Shijian-21

Oct 24, 2021

A Long March-3B rocket launched the Shijian-21 satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 24 October 2021, at 01:27 UTC (09:27 local time). According to official sources, Shijian-21 (实践二十一) was placed in the desired orbit and “will be mainly used to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2C launches Yaogan-32 02

Nov 3, 2021

A Long March-2C launch vehicle launched the second group of Yaogan-32 remote sensing satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 3 November 2021, at 07:43 UTC (15:43 China Standard Time). According to official sources, the satellites (遥感三十二号02) have entered the planned orbits and will work as part of a constellation for electromagnetic environment detection and related technological tests.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-6 launches SDGSAT-1

Nov 5, 2021

A Long March-6 launch vehicle launched the SDGSAT-1 satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 5 November 2021, at 02:19 UTC (10:19 local time). SDGSAT-1 (Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1, also known as 广目地球科学卫星, Guangmu Earth Science Satellite, CASEarth) has three payloads of thermal infrared, low light level and multispectral imager, with 300 km wide data acquisition capability. It can achieve global coverage within 11 days. The satellite aims to detect parameters representing the interaction between human activities and the Earth environment.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-2D launches the first Yaogan-35 satellites

Nov 6, 2021

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the first three Yaogan-35 satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 6 November 2021, at 03:00 UTC (11:00 local time). According to official sources, the satellites (遥感三十五号卫星A星、B星、C星, Yaogan-35 A, B and C) have entered the planned orbits and will be “mainly used in scientific experiments, land and resources surveys, agricultural production estimates, and disaster prevention and mitigation.”

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches Gaofen-11 03

Nov 20, 2021

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched the Gaofen-11 03 Earth-observation satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 20 November 2021, at 01:51 UTC (09:51 local time). According to official sources, Gaofen-11 03 (高分十一号03) entered the planned orbit successfully and will form a network with Gaofen-11 01 and 02 to “greatly improve the efficiency of Earth observation and make greater contributions to national economic and social development in the fields of land survey, urban planning, land ownership, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation.”

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4C launches Gaofen-3 02

Nov 23, 2021

A Long March-4C launch vehicle launched the second Gaofen-3 satellite (Gaofen-3 02, 高分三号02) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 22 November 2021, at 23:45 UTC (23 November, at 07:45 local time). According to official sources, the satellite will operate in a solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of 755 km, improving China’s “ocean observation, water conservancy applications, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring and other fields.”

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches ZhongXing-1D (ChinaSat-1D)

Nov 26, 2021

A Long March-3B rocket launched the ZhongXing-1D satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 26 November 2021, at 16:40 UTC (27 November, at 00:40 local time). ZhongXing-1D (中星1D, also known as ChinaSat-1D) is a communications satellite designed to “provide users with high-quality voice, data, radio and television transmission services”.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-4B launches Shijian-6 05

Dec 10, 2021

A Long March-4B launch vehicle launched a group of Shijian-6 05 satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, northwest China, on 10 December 2021, at 00:11 UTC (08:11 local time). According to official sources, the satellites (实践六号05) have entered the planned orbit successfully and will be used for space exploration and new technology test. The launch marked the 400th mission of the Long March series of launch vehicles.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-3B launches TianLian-2 02

Dec 14, 2021

A Long March-3B rocket launched the TianLian-2 02 satellite (天链二号02星) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 13 December 2021, at 16:09 UTC (14 December, at 00:09 local time). According to official sources, the satellite entered the desired orbit. TianLian-2 02 is the second satellite of China’s second-generation data relay satellite system.
The satellite will form a network with TianLian-1 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 and TianLian-2 01, providing global coverage for data relay and transmission services, supporting communications between the China Space Station and the mission control center in Beijing.

 

[Administrator]

Long March-7A launches Shiyan-12 01 and 02

A Long March-7A launch vehicle launched two satellites, Shiyan-12 01 and Shiyan-12 02, from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, on 23 December 2021, at 10:12 UTC (18:12 local time). The mission was the third launch for the Long March-7A rocket (长征七号甲, 长征七号A). The Shiyan-12 01 and 02 satellites (试验十二号卫星01星、02星) will be “mainly used for space environment exploration and related technical tests.”
Credit: China Media Group(CMG)/China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Long March-7A launches Shiyan-12 01 and 02