At 1906 Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 15th October 2024 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration Successfully launched Chang Zheng – Long March 6 Carrier Rocket ignited and took off at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Shanxi Province.. Successfully deployed 18 Satellites in one launch .. Long March 6 modified carrier rocket ignited and took off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, and then successfully sent the 02 group of Qianfan polar orbit satellites into the predetermined orbit. The launch mission was a complete success…. which aims to provide high speed and reliable satellite broadband internet services to global users. With in mind of The newly launched satellite group is a part of China’s G60 Constellation, which aims to provide low-latency, high-speed and ultra-reliable satellite broadband
Long March 6 modified Carrier rocket was developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a new generation of non-toxic and pollution-free carrier rocket. It is also China’s first solid-liquid bundled medium-sized carrier rocket. The carrying capacity of the 700-kilometer altitude sun-synchronous orbit is greater than 4.5 tons.
This launch is the 539th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
On CNSA –China National Space Administration …. ChangZheng Long March 12 first flight rocket joint rehearsal…. At Hainan Commercial Space Launch Center. Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, People’s Republic of China At 7:00 a.m Beijing time . on October 8th 2024 .. , the joint rehearsal mission execution team had assembled in the Sanping factory. At the pre-shift meeting for the rocket joint rehearsal, General Dispatcher Cao Guobin was arranging various tasks in detail. At 8:00, the rocket was placed on the long rocket transport vehicle to prepare for the first joint rehearsal mission after the National Day. At 8:30, as the rocket slowly drove into the No. 2 launch station in the launch area, a new space journey will begin again……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 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.
On CNSA –China National Space Administration The Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft will be launched next month! From Wenchang Spacecraft launch Center, Hainan province, China, People’s Republic of China.. the November Date of year 2024.. Towards the Tiangong-China Space Station..
According to the plan at the beginning of 2024, China’s manned space program plans to carry out four launch missions this year, including two manned launch missions and two cargo launch missions. At present, the launch missions of the “Tianzhou-7” cargo spacecraft and the “Shenzhou-18” manned spacecraft have been carried out in the first half of the year, and the “Shenzhou-19” and “Tianzhou-8” launch missions will be carried out next.
According to the original plan, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft will be launched before the Shenzhou-19 manned spacecraft. Due to the impact of the super typhoon Makar, the ground facilities of the Wenchang launch site were affected to a certain extent, and the launch was postponed to after the Shenzhou-19 mission. It is expected that in early to mid-November, at the 201 station of the Wenchang launch site, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft will be launched to the Chinese space station by the Long March-7 Yao-9 carrier rocket. The spacecraft will adopt the rapid rendezvous and docking mode to go up and is planned to dock at the rear port of the Tianhe core module.
“Tianzhou-7” mission ship and rocket combination
In this mission, Tianzhou-8 will carry lunar soil bricks to the Chinese space station for the first time. Lunar soil bricks are made by firing simulated lunar soil on the ground. They are much harder than ordinary concrete and may be used to build lunar structures in the future. In order to verify whether the lunar soil bricks can withstand the test of extreme environments, they will undergo exposure tests in the space station.
Sintered lunar soil brick samples
The Tianzhou series cargo spacecraft is the first type of professional cargo spacecraft developed by China. It is developed based on the technical foundation of the Tiangong series space laboratory and the Shenzhou series manned spacecraft. It has a high starting point and is a disposable spacecraft. The Tianzhou-8 is an improved version of the Tianzhou series cargo spacecraft and the third spacecraft in the second batch of products after the mass production of the Tianzhou series cargo spacecraft.
The spacecraft adopts a dual-cabin tandem configuration, with the propulsion cabin and the cargo cabin from bottom to top in the launch state. The spacecraft is 10.6 meters long, with a maximum diameter of the main body (cargo cabin) of 3.35 meters, a wingspan of 14.9 meters when the solar wing is unfolded, a cargo cabin loading space of 22.5 cubic meters, a loading capacity of 6.7 tons, a total cargo loading capacity of 7.4 tons, a spacecraft dry mass of 6.5 tons, and a cargo-to-load ratio of 0.53. The “Tianzhou” spacecraft is the world’s most powerful cargo spacecraft in service, with the highest cargo-to-load ratio and the most comprehensive on-orbit support capability.
Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft
At present, the Tianzhou series of spacecraft have the ability to quickly rendezvous and dock with multiple options, and can choose to go uphill in 6 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours and other options, which has been an early application for speeding up the uphill mission of the Shenzhou series of spacecraft.
Since the implementation of the Chinese space station mission, the launch frequency of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft has been adjusted from twice a year to three times every two years, and the launch density will be further reduced. When the Tianzhou-8 is launched, the interval between the launch of the Tianzhou-7 will reach 10 months, which will set a record for the longest launch interval of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft.
On the day of27th September 2024 Hours Hong- Kong SAR – Beijing time CNSA –China National Space Administration , China, People’s Republic of China At 1830 Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time , the Chang Zheng -Long March 2D carrier rocket successfully launched China’s first reusable recoverable technology test satellite.. From The the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China..
[This is amazing, Long March 2D successfully launched China’s first reusable recoverable technology test satellite]
According to Shanghai Aerospace and China’s aerospace news, at 18:30 Beijing time on September 27, 2024, the Long March 2D carrier rocket successfully sent the Practice 19 satellite into the predetermined orbit at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and the launch mission was a complete success.
This mission is the first time that the Long March 2D rocket has carried out a recoverable satellite launch mission after an interval of 8 years. In response to possible weak links, the model actively organized the test team to carry out “double thinking” work and conduct special quality review work. In order to meet the payload requirements of the recoverable satellite, the model customized the work process of buckling the fairing on the tower 48 hours before launch.
As an important new technology test satellite during China’s “14th Five-Year Plan”, the Practice 19 satellite has achieved a number of technological breakthroughs in reusability, high microgravity guarantee, high load ratio and re-entry environment test services. It will significantly improve the technical level and application efficiency of China’s recoverable satellites, reduce operating costs, and provide strong support for the rapid transformation of new technology verification and pre-research results.
The Shijian-19 satellite will carry out space breeding experiments, carrying relevant plant seeds selected by Hainan Province, Anhui Province, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, giving full play to the advantages of space breeding such as “high mutagenesis efficiency, short breeding cycle, and many beneficial mutations”, improving China’s space breeding technology level, accelerating the pace of germplasm resource innovation, and providing important support for achieving self-reliance in seed industry technology and independent control of seed sources. Researchers will make full use of the reusable Shijian-19 satellite to carry out space experiments, provide opportunities for in-orbit flight test verification for domestic components and raw materials, promote the development and application of new space technologies, and help research in the fields of microgravity science and space life science.
In addition, the Shijian-19 satellite also carries payloads applied for by five countries including Thailand and Pakistan, and carries out extensive international cooperation. The National Space Administration is responsible for the organization and management of the Shijian-19 satellite project, the organization and coordination of major matters, and the approval of launch licenses. The National Space Administration’s Earth Observation and Data Center is responsible for the overall work of the project; the satellite is developed by the Space Technology Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and the Launch Vehicle Technology Research Institute is responsible for the overall development of the launch vehicle system.
The Long March 2D carrier rocket that carried out this mission is a room-temperature liquid two-stage carrier rocket developed by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It has the characteristics of “high reliability, good economy, and strong adaptability” and can support various launch needs such as single-star, multi-star parallel, series, and piggyback. Its sun-synchronous circular orbit carrying capacity can reach 1.3 tons (orbital altitude 700km). Space
Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Technology Co., Ltd. is the first domestic aerospace enterprise with mixed ownership, and it is also the target enterprise that Oriental Aerospace Port focuses on introducing. Relying on the scientific research strength and resource advantages of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Aerospace Flight Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aerospace Science and Technology has been committed to the research and development and integration of space technology and aerospace vehicles as a platform for the transformation of major national scientific research projects, as well as the transformation and provision of technological achievements. Aerospace launch service. The Lijian-1 rocket project also adds a brand-new name card to the Oriental Space Port, which will surely promote the construction of the Oriental Space Port to take a solid step forward.
At 07:33 Beijing time on September 25, 2024, at the 130 workstation of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Inner Mongolia, China, People’s Republic of China, the “Lijian-1” Yao-4 carrier rocket carrying five remote sensing satellites including the China Science Satellite 01 and 02, Jilin-1 SAR01A, Yunyao-1 21 and 22 was ignited and launched, sending the satellites into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
Airsat 01 and 02 are synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellites developed by Airsat and Jigang Group. They are the first launch satellites of the Airsat remote sensing satellite system built by Airsat. The main payload of this type of satellite is Ku-band synthetic aperture radar with a resolution better than 1 meter. It will verify new technologies such as flat-plate synthetic aperture radar satellite, deployable cylindrical reflector synthetic aperture radar antenna, on-orbit imaging and information extraction and processing, and Ku-band re-orbit interferometric synthetic aperture radar. This type of synthetic aperture radar is used for the first time in the world.
Jilin-1 SAR01A is the first microwave remote sensing (radar remote sensing) satellite independently developed by Changguang Satellite. It is a networking satellite of Jilin-1 constellation. The satellite is equipped with X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) jointly developed by Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace and Changguang Satellite, and operates in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 515 kilometers. The successful development of Jilin-1 SAR01A marks a new technological breakthrough in Changguang Satellite in the field of whole satellite design and manufacturing.
Yunyao-1 21 and 22 were developed by Tianjin Yunyao Aerospace. They are networking satellites of the Yunyao meteorological constellation. Their main payload is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) occultation detection payload. By inverting the GNSS occultation data, the atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure and ionospheric electron density can be obtained.
Kinetica 1 is a four-stage all-solid rocket developed by the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-developed by CASspace. It is mainly used for launch missions into low and medium Earth orbits. The rocket is 30 meters high and has a maximum diameter of 2.65 meters. It can be equipped with two specifications of fairings with diameters of 2.65 meters and 3.35 meters. Its takeoff mass is 135 tons and its carrying capacity in a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is 1.5 tons. This rocket is equipped with a fairing with a diameter of 2.65 meters.
Since its successful maiden flight on July 27, 2022, Beijing time, the “Lijian-1” has achieved four consecutive victories, launching a total of 42 satellites into orbit, with a total mass of more than 4 tons. This mission is the first time that the “Lijian-1” has carried out a morning and evening orbit launch. At present, the rocket has achieved a commercial launch mode of batch storage, rapid launch, and rolling backup.
This launch is the second launch of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket in 2024, the 12th launch of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the 45th launch in China and the 177th orbital space launch in the world. The last launch mission of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center was the Hyperbola-1 Yao-8 mission on July 11, 2024, which is 76 days (2.5 months) away from this mission.
As China’s first medium-sized rocket to achieve high-density launches and the record holder for multiple satellite launches in a single launch of Chinese commercial rockets, the Lijian-1 carrier rocket has achieved complete success for three consecutive launches, accurately delivering 37 satellites with a total load of 3.5 tons into the scheduled orbit, with a 100% launch success rate. This type of rocket is suitable for rapid network launch of small and medium-sized satellites in medium and low orbits. It has a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons in a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. It is a medium-sized solid launch vehicle with core competitiveness in China’s commercial launch vehicle launch market and is also the main force in China’s commercial aerospace industry. It is one of the rockets that can effectively meet the needs of the commercial launch market in medium and low orbits. It also has the ability to respond quickly to diversified market demands and is committed to providing customers with highly reliable, low-cost, and high-density flight-based launch services.
