On the 1st August 2024 schedule to launch CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China 2114 Hours Hong Kong –Beijing Time China- People’s Republic of China…. at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province….. at the No. 2 site of the Xichang Launch Center in China, the “Long March 3B” carrier rocket carrying the Satellite Internet High-orbit Satellite 02 was ignited and launched, and the satellite was sent to the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The “passenger” of this mission, Satellite Internet High-orbit Satellite 02, was developed by the 5th Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and is the successor to Satellite Internet High-orbit Satellite 01.
The Long March 3B is a medium-sized liquid carrier rocket developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, with a three-and-a-half-stage configuration. At present, the Long March 3B is in use in the enhanced version (CZ-3B/E), of which the modified version (CZ-3B/G2) is the most powerful model. The modified version 2 rocket is 56.326 meters long, with a maximum core stage diameter of 3.35 meters, a takeoff mass of 458.97 tons, and a maximum capacity of 5.55 tons for a standard geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). This launch mission was launched during the rainy season in Xichang. Based on the various waterproof designs of the rocket, the model team made full use of multiple protections such as anti-condensation air conditioning and moisture-proof sand, and took waterproof and moisture-proof measures.
This mission is the 97th launch of the Long March 3B rocket. Since the successful launch of the Long March 3B Yao 68 (68th) on June 23, 2020, the rocket has achieved 30 consecutive victories. In 2024, the Long March 3A series of rockets will once again enter a high-density launch period. So far this year, the Long March 3B has carried out 4 launch missions.
This launch is the 10th launch from the Xichang Launch Center in 2024, the 34th launch in China and the 138th launch in the world. At the same time, this launch is also the 529th launch of the “Long March” series of rockets.
On the week of 23rd July 2024 CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China at a China Academy Of Launch Vehicle Technology Engine Testing complex.. of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Sixth Academy…. China’s new generation of manned carrier rocket three-stage liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine long-range high-model test was a complete success … for the长征十号 Chang Zheng- Long March
Recently, the new generation of manned carrier rocket three-stage liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine completed a long-range test in a high-altitude simulated environment on China’s newly built vertical high-altitude simulation test bench, verifying the feasibility of long-range operation of China’s largest nozzle area ratio liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine. The test was a complete success.
The success of this long-range high-model test indicates that China’s liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine high-altitude simulation test capability has reached the level of thousands of seconds, which has greatly improved China’s liquid rocket engine high-model test capability and will strongly support the smooth implementation of China’s manned lunar exploration project. (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Sixth Academy…
Long March 10 rocket is a three-and-a-half-stage rocket developed for the manned lunar exploration project. The total length of the rocket is 92.5 meters, the takeoff weight is about 2,189 tons, the takeoff thrust is about 2,678 tons, and the Earth-Moon transfer orbit carrying capacity is not less than 27 tons. In the future, it will be used to launch a new generation of manned spacecraft and lunar landers. In addition, the Long March 10 has also designed another booster-free configuration that can perform space station Takionaut and cargo transportation tasks….
深蓝航天 Deep Blue Limited – Deep Blue AerospaceLandspace One of sixty Chinese private space Carrier Rocket Companies in China-People’s Republic of China… As many of sixty plus Private Rocket Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. was established in 2017. The company is mainly a high-tech aerospace enterprise that focuses on the direction of liquid recovery and reusable launch vehicles and provides users with commercial launch services. Deep Blue Aerospace Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. At the same time, the company has rocket general and liquid engine R&D centers in Yizhuang, Beijing and Xi’an, Shaanxi, respectively, and a rocket power system test base in Tongchuan, Shaanxi…..
[The first stage of the Nebula-1 rocket of Deep Blue Aerospace has successfully completed the three-machine parallel full-time sequence power system series test. The first stage of the Nebula-1 rocket is about to undergo a VTVL high-altitude vertical recovery flight test]
On July 21, 2024, the Nebula-1 rocket (referred to as “Nebula-1”) independently developed by Deep Blue Aerospace completed the first stage three-machine parallel full-time sequence power system series test at the Deep Blue Jigang Test Base in Jinan City, and achieved complete success.
This test simulated the full working conditions of high-altitude recovery flight and a large range of engine variable thrust test. During the test, the first stage of the “Nebula-1” rocket also carried out verification of the system performance of locking, unlocking, and semi-deployment of landing legs and grid rudders in real vibration and thermal environments. After the test, the entire system including the engine, landing legs and grid rudders was inspected and confirmed to be in good condition.
After the test, the rocket body will go to the test site to prepare for the upcoming high-altitude vertical recovery flight test of the first stage of the “Nebula-1” rocket.
[APSTAR6E Aptema Satellite 6E successfully positioned at 134° east longitude]
On the 10 July 2024 Wednesday Asia-Pacific Satellite News; the Asia-Pacific 6E satellite was successfully positioned at 134° east longitude and is ready for business. The satellite will co-orbit with the Asia-Pacific 6C and Asia-Pacific 6D satellites.
The Asia-Pacific 6E satellite is a geostationary orbit satellite built on the DFH-3E platform. It was purchased by Asia-Pacific Satellite Corporation’s joint venture Asia-Pacific Starlink Satellite Co., Ltd., and Asia-Pacific Satellite Corporation provides operational technical support. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on January 13, 2023. After launch, it completed the orbit change of the assembly to the intermediate orbit, and then relied on the satellite’s ion and Hall electric propulsion systems to carry out orbit raising operations and finally reach the synchronous orbit
Asia-Pacific 6E is my country’s first fully electric propulsion communications satellite, equipped with 25 Ku user beams and 3 Ka gateway beams, with a communication capacity of approximately 30 Gbps.
On the 13TH January 2023 in CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China At 0210 hours Hong Kong –Beijing Time China- People’s Republic of China launch the Chang Zheng – Long march 2C Carrier Rocket launching from station form Xichang Satellite Launch Center Sichuan Province…..Deploying the Asia Pacific 6E – APSTAR 6E Communications Satellite ..
The Asia Pacific 6E – APSTAR 6E Satellite this is the first time that China, People’s Republic of China has launched an all-electric high-throughput communication satellite. First, the carrier rocket sends the combination of the satellite and the propulsion module into low-earth orbit, and then the satellite controls the DFH-3E propulsion module to send the satellite to the designated orbit. Then separate from the satellite. In the follow-up, the satellite will rely on its own LIPS-200 electric propulsion system, and after 10 months of orbital ascension, it will finally enter the GEO fixed point….implement the Asia-Pacific 6E communication satellite launch mission at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at around 2:11 am on January 13 (the first star of the Dongfanghong-3 E platform APSTAR 6E satellite will provide high-speed and convenient high-throughput broadband communication services for Southeast Asia, effectively filling the gap in the broadband communication market in Southeast Asia. The rockets and satellites used in this launch were all developed by China Airlines. This is the 460th launch of the Long March series of launch vehicle
The first communication satellite launched by the Chang Zheng Long March 2C, with a launch weight of 4.3 tons The Asia Pacific 6E launch mission is the first time that the Chang Zheng Long March 2C Carrier rocket is used to launch a communication satellite, and the total weight of the launched payload reaches an unprecedented 4.3 tons (satellite + propulsion module)! This is the heaviest satellite ever launched into orbit by the Chang Zheng-Long March 2C rocket.
In order to meet the mission requirements, the development team specially developed an integrated satellite adapter, which achieved a weight reduction of more than 20%, and further improved the rocket’s existing carrying capacity. ….. At the same time, in this mission, the development team carried out multi-dimensional special research: narrowed the range of the rocket wreckage landing area; improved the rocket attitude stability and control accuracy.
2024 is another year of progress for China, People’s Republic of China China’s space industry, with about 100 orbital launches planned for the whole year. At the same time, many rocket models will have their first flights this year, and the national team’s “Long March” series of rockets will also have their first flights, including the “Long March 6C” (already launched), “Long March 12” and “Long March 8A”. The “Long March 12” is the most special one among them, and it will be the first carrier rocket with a diameter of 3.8 meters among the “Long March” rockets.
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 has four main engines
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.
“Long March 12” joint archery practice (Photo source: Weibo @曹梦-Aerospace
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.
YF-100K test run picture
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.
Joint archery training of Long March XII
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.
In addition to launching from Hainan Commercial Aircraft Corporation, the Long March 12 can also be transported by rail to a land launch site to carry out launch missions, which will help the rocket quickly form a batch launch capability, support launches into sun-synchronous orbits and low-Earth orbits, and be used for low-orbit satellite constellation launch missions such as StarNet.
