At 1957 29th June 2024 Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration, successfully launched by the Long March 7A Yao-8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China
At 19:57 Beijing Time- Hong Kong SAR Time on June 29th , 2024, at the 201 workstation of the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan, China, the Long March 7A Yao-8 carrier rocket carrying the ChinaSat 3A communications satellite was ignited and launched, sending the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The payload of this mission, the large high-orbit communications satellite ChinaSat-3A, was developed by the Communications and Navigation Department of the 5th Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and is used to provide voice, data, and radio and television transmission services…
The Long March 7A (Long March 7 Modified / Long March 7A) was developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a medium-sized three-stage semi-cryogenic liquid carrier rocket, mainly used to carry out medium and high earth orbit launch missions. The maximum height of the rocket is 60.7 meters (with a 3.7-meter diameter fairing), the booster diameter is 2.25 meters, the core first and second stages have a diameter of 3.35 meters, the core third stage has a diameter of 3 meters, the takeoff mass is about 573 tons, the takeoff thrust is 727 tons, and its geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) capacity is not less than 7 tons. Since the Long March 7A Yao II (the second launch), the rocket has achieved 6 consecutive victories.
This rocket uses a newly developed satellite bracket to further increase the available longitudinal envelope space of the fairing and improve the mission adaptability of the rocket; optimize the design to improve the accuracy and anti-interference capability of the inertial group; implement reliability growth measures to improve the flight reliability of the rocket; and further streamline the launch site process. This rocket uses a 4.2-meter diameter fairing and the entire rocket is 60.13 meters high.
This launch is the first launch of the Long March 7A carrier rocket in 2024, the fifth launch at the Wenchang Launch Center, the 30th launch in China and the 124th launch in the world. At the same time, this launch is the seventh launch of the new generation of Long March series carrier rockets this year and the 15th launch of the Long March 7 series carrier rockets.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration