On the day of 1st April 2025 Hours Hong- Kong SAR – Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration , China, People’s Republic of China At 1508 Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time , the Chang Zheng -Long March 2D Yao78 China successfully launched the rocket ignited successfully launches satellite internet technology test satellite….. At 12:00 on April 1, the Long March 2D carrier rocket ignited and took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and then successfully sent the satellite internet technology test satellite into the predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success. Using the Long March 2D carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
The satellite internet technology test satellite is mainly used to carry out technical tests and verifications such as mobile broadband direct connection to satellites and space-ground network integration.
The Long March 2D rocket was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a room-temperature liquid two-stage carrier rocket with single-satellite and multi-satellite launch capabilities for different orbital requirements. Its sun-synchronous orbit carrying capacity is 1.3 tons.
This launch is the 567th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
At 0250 Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 17TH December 2024 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration Successfully launched Chang Zheng – Long March 2D Carrier Rocket ignited and took off at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Shanxi Province.. at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center to successfully send four synthetic aperture radar satellites developed by Galaxy Aerospace into the predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success!
At 2:50 on December 17, 2024, the Long March 2D Yao 99 carrier rocket successfully launched the PIESAT-2 09~12 satellites of the Space Hongtu (pictured in P) and the mission badge at the No. 9 workstation of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center . The Long March 2D rocket was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The launch service for this mission was provided by the Great Wall Company of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation as the general contractor. In order to meet the requirements of the satellite launch layout, this mission used the Ф3800 composite satellite fairing designed by the Eighth Academy for the first time. This type of fairing is widely used in multiple models such as CZ-6C, CZ-6A, CZ-4B/4C, and CZ-2D. The space envelope inside the fairing is larger, which can achieve omnidirectional wave transmission, making the available space of the satellite more abundant and the “communication” between the satellite and the ground more flexible and convenient. Previously, the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket had used composite fairings, and the application effect was good.
In the future, composite fairings will become the shelf-type “optional products” of the Eighth Academy rockets, providing “satellite passengers” with more abundant launch service options. The four satellite users of this mission are Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. The satellites have the same technical status and are all low-orbit SAR satellites. They are equipped with high-resolution SAR payloads and on-board intelligent processing, on-board mission planning and other payloads. They have the capabilities of single-satellite high-resolution imaging, multi-satellite high-precision interferometry, on-board intelligent processing and autonomous operation, emergency communication and rapid response, as well as long-term stable data output, and will conduct remote sensing observations and related applications in orbit. Duan Xiao, chief designer of Galaxy Aerospace SAR satellites, introduced that SAR satellites are a general term for earth observation remote sensing satellites carrying SAR payloads, with superior performance such as all-day, all-weather, and high-resolution earth observation. Multiple SAR satellites can increase the revisit rate and carry out a variety of networking applications. They can obtain high-resolution imaging and high-frequency observations, provide regular coverage on a global scale, and achieve millimeter-level deformation measurement of targets such as dams and bridges. They support and serve the application needs of land resources, earthquake monitoring, disaster prevention and mitigation, basic geographic information acquisition, and forestry, and better serve the national economy and people’s livelihood.
❶The 65th launch of China’s space program in 2024 (63 successful launches)
❷The 94th launch of the Long March 2D carrier rocket (94 successful launches)
❸The 553rd launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets (536 successful launches)
❹The 146th launch of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (140 successful launches)
❺The 638th launch of China’s space program (603 successful launches)
At morning 10th December 2024 Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration, the Long March 5B Yao-6 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China., On the morning of December 10, 2024 Beijing time, the “Long March 5B” Yao-6 carrier rocket and satellite assembly were vertically transferred from the vertical assembly and test plant to the launch tower on a mobile launch platform, and the launch mission preparations entered the final stage
Long March 5B Yao-6 launch vehicle
The Long March 5B/Long March 5B (CZ-5B) is a large cryogenic liquid carrier rocket developed for China’s manned space station project, used to launch the main module of the space station. The rocket adopts a one-and-a-half-stage series-parallel configuration, consisting of a core stage and four boosters. It is China’s first one-and-a-half-stage configuration rocket.
Schematic diagram of Long March 5B
The Long March 5B rocket is 53.657 meters long, with a core stage diameter of 5 meters and a booster diameter of 3.35 meters. It is equipped with a large fairing with a diameter of 5.2 meters and a length of 20.5 meters. Its takeoff mass is about 849 tons, its takeoff thrust is about 1,078 tons, and its low-Earth orbit (LEO) capacity reaches 25 tons. In Asia, the Long March 5B is the rocket with the strongest low-Earth transport capacity in service.
Long March 5B Yao-6 launch vehicle
Long March 5B Yao-6 launch vehicle
The envelope diameter of the Long March 5B rocket fairing reaches 4.5 meters, and the volume exceeds 345 cubic meters. This is the fairing with the largest diameter, longest length, and largest envelope space in China’s current service, and one of the fairings with the largest envelope space in the world. With large carrying capacity and a “large cargo compartment”, the Long March 5B rocket can also be used with the Yuanzheng 2 upper stage to carry out large-scale multi-satellite launches, supporting China’s giant satellite constellation network. Once launched, the Long March 5B rocket will become the world’s most powerful carrier rocket for giant constellation network launches
It is expected that on the evening of December 15th to 16th, at the 101 launch site at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in China, the Long March 5B Yao-6 carrier rocket/Expedition 2 Yao-2 upper stage will carry out a large-scale multi-satellite launch mission, planning to send the satellites on board into low-Earth orbit.
The payload of this mission comes from the China Star Network Project, which is the China Star Network Low Orbit 01 Group Satellite. China Star Network (SatNet) is a giant satellite constellation in China, including low-orbit and high-orbit satellites, and plans to launch 12,992 satellites. The main body of the China Star Network Low Orbit 01 Group Satellite adopts a trapezoidal design, and its appearance is similar to that of the “One Network” constellation satellite. The constellation satellite using this design needs to be launched using a side-mounted launch based on a central load-bearing cylinder.
Long March 5B Yao-6 launch vehicle
This launch mission will be the fifth launch of the Long March 5B carrier rocket and the 13th launch of the Long March 5 series of rockets. At the same time, this launch will also be the first time that the rocket has carried out an unmanned space launch mission, which will provide a very scarce large carrying capacity for constellation networking.
The improved Kuaizhou-1A rocket has greatly increased its carrying capacity and successfully launched a radar remote sensing satellite in Xichang..
During on 4th December 2024 at 1246 Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time launching from one of many complexes Xichang Satellite Launch center, Sichuan Province –China – People’s Republic of China on中國製造 Expace Technology Corporation, , the Kuaizhou No. 1A solid carrier rocket ignited and lifted off at the At 12:46 Beijing time on December 4, 2024, at the launch pad of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the “Kuaizhou-1A” solid carrier rocket ignited and took off, sending the “Haishao-1” remote sensing satellite into low Earth orbit (LEO).
“Haishao-1” (CAS Satellite 08) is a small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellite that can realize on-board imaging and inversion and extraction of ocean dynamic information, and has a wide range of application scenarios.
Kuaizhou-1A is a four-stage small launch vehicle developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) Rocket Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the 9th Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. It adopts a four-stage tandem configuration, with solid rocket engines in the first, second and third stages and a room-temperature liquid engine in the fourth stage. The liquid final stage of the rocket is equipped with a nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4)/monomethylhydrazine (CH6N2) engine, which has the ability to ignite multiple times and can carry out multi-satellite launch missions in different orbits.
The improved launch vehicle “Kuaizhou-1A” was used this time, which adopted technologies such as high payload ratio optimization, de-tasking, landing area control, and online variable parameters, and achieved significant improvements in carrying capacity, satellite available envelope, reliability, and performance. Compared with the previous version, the external diameter of the fairing of the improved “Kuaizhou-1A” rocket has been increased from 1.4 meters to 1.8 meters, and the carrying capacity of the 500-kilometer, 45-degree low-Earth orbit (LEO) has been increased from 390 kilograms to 500 kilograms, the carrying capacity of the 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) has been increased from 260 kilograms to 360 kilograms, and the carrying capacity of the 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) has been increased from 200 kilograms to more than 300 kilograms.
Since its successful maiden flight, the Kuaizhou-1A rocket has carried out a total of 28 launches, 26 of which were successful, with a success rate of 92.86%. It is China’s solid-propellant carrier rocket with the most launches and the most successes. Since the successful launch of the Kuaizhou-1A Yao 23 rocket on June 22, 2022, the rocket has achieved 14 consecutive victories, which is the second longest winning streak of China’s active solid rockets, second only to the 17 consecutive victories of the Long March 11 rocket, which is still ongoing. On the afternoon of September 20, 2024, the Kuaizhou-1A Yao 31 rocket carried out the 27th launch of the arrow, 75 days away from this launch.
This launch is the fourth launch of the Kuaizhou-1A rocket in 2024, the 18th launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the 61st launch in China, and the 231st orbital space launch in the world.
On CNSA –China National Space Administration …. ChangZheng Long March 12 first flight rocket …. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China At 7:00 am Beijing time on 26 November 2024.. This morning, the Long March 12 Y1 carrier rocket was successfully transferred from the technical area to the launch area at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. It will be launched in the near future. The first flight is a must . The Long March 12 is a new generation of medium-sized carrier rocket in China and also the first 3.8-meter-diameter single-core liquid carrier rocket in China.
China’s most powerful single-core rocket for low-orbit transport…
The Long March 12 (LM-12/CZ-12) is a new generation of carrier rocket developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a medium-sized cryogenic liquid carrier rocket with a two-stage tandem configuration. The first and second stages are all powered by liquid oxygen-kerosene engines. The rocket was originally the Eighth Academy’s bid for a new generation of manned carrier rockets, and was later renamed XLV20. The original 5CBC configuration (5 cores in parallel for the takeoff stage) was changed to a single core stage configuration.
The first stage of the Long March 12 is equipped with four YF-100K liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, using an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle, using pump-back swing, supporting bidirectional swing of ±8 degrees, and a thrust adjustment range of 65%~105%. The sea level thrust of a single engine is about 128 tons (1250 kN), and the sea level specific impulse is 301.84 seconds. The second stage is equipped with two YF-115 liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, using an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle, supporting bidirectional swing of ±4 degrees, a thrust adjustment range of 80%~100%, a vacuum thrust of about 18 tons (180 kN), and a vacuum specific impulse of about 342 seconds.
The Long March 12 rocket is 59 meters high, with a first and second stage diameter of 3.8 meters. It can be equipped with optional fairings with diameters of 4.2 meters and 5.2 meters. It has a takeoff mass of 433 tons and a maximum takeoff thrust of about 510 tons (5,000 kilonewtons). The rocket has a carrying capacity of no less than 10 tons in a low-Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 300 kilometers and a carrying capacity of no less than 6 tons in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 700 kilometers.
The Long March XII rocket is the first 3.8-meter-diameter model of the Long March rocket. It will also become China’s single-core-stage carrier rocket with the largest takeoff mass and the strongest low-orbit carrying capacity in service.
The first flight of the YF-100K engine!
On April 28, 2024, the YF-100K liquid oxygen-kerosene engine developed by the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation completed a four-engine parallel ignition test. The total thrust of the engine exceeded 500 tons. This was the first large-thrust liquid oxygen-kerosene engine four-engine parallel ignition test, and the four-engine parallel scheme was fully verified.
The YF-100K was born with the proposal of China’s manned lunar landing plan and the need to demonstrate the new generation of manned carrier rockets. It is based on the improvement and optimization of the YF-100. This engine is the main power of China’s new generation of manned carrier rocket “Long March 10”. It adopts pump back swing. Compared with the YF-100 in use, it has the advantages of small mass eccentricity, small swing envelope, and easy layout of swing components.
The maiden flight of the Long March 12 rocket is also the maiden flight of the YF-100K engine, which will test its performance in actual launches and accumulate flight samples for the main power of the Long March 10 takeoff stage. At the same time, the YF-100K will pave the way for the improvement and upgrading of the new generation of carrier rockets currently in service, such as the Long March 5, whose four boosters are equipped with a total of 8 YF-100 engines. By replacing them with the YF-100K engines with better performance, the rocket will further release its already powerful carrying capacity.
China’s Hainan commercial space launch site launches first rocket
It is expected that in August 2024, the Long March 12 (Yao-1) carrier rocket will carry out its maiden flight at the No. 2 station of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center in China, and China’s new generation of carrier rockets will welcome a new member. At the same time, this is also the first rocket launch of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center, which means that China’s first commercial space launch center has officially been put into use.
