On the 23RD October 2024 schedule to launch CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China 0909 Hours Hong Kong –Beijing Time China- People’s Republic of China…. at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province at the No. 3 station of the Xichang Launch Center in Liangshan Prefecture, southwest Sichuan, the “Long March 2C” carrier rocket carrying the “Remote Sensing 43” 03 group 3 satellites was launched into space, sending multiple satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).
[China’s first gold medal rocket carries out constellation satellite launch mission]
The three satellites of the “Remote Sensing 43” 03 group were developed by the Fifth Academy, the Eighth Academy and the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and are mainly used to carry out new technology tests for low-orbit constellation systems.
The “Long March 2C” is a medium-sized room-temperature liquid carrier rocket developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, with a two-stage tandem structure. The “Long March 2C” is China’s first “gold medal rocket”, with the advantages of many flight samples, high reliability, short launch cycle and moderate carrying capacity. The rocket is about 42.3 meters long, with a diameter of 3.35 meters for the first and second stages. It can be equipped with three types of fairings: 3350M (diameter 3.35 meters), 3350L (diameter 3.35 meters) and 4200C (diameter 4.2 meters). The takeoff mass is 241 tons, and its low-Earth orbit (LEO) capacity is 4.7 tons.
This rocket is equipped with a 4.2-meter diameter fairing and an extended central bearing tube, which allows the satellite to be connected in a side-mounted manner. At the same time, in this mission, the “Long March 2C” rocket used a brand-new unified ground test, launch and control equipment for the first time at the Xichang Launch Center. The number of equipment systems and the area occupied were greatly reduced, and the generalization rate was high.
Since its successful first flight on September 9, 1982, the “Long March 2C” has carried out 79 launch missions, 78 of which were successful (including 1 partial success), with a success rate of 98.73%. Before the end of this year, the “Long March 2C” rocket will also carry out multiple launch missions.
This launch is the fifth launch of the Long March 2C carrier rocket in 2024, the 16th launch from the Xichang Launch Center, the 51st launch in China, and the 193rd orbital space launch in the world.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
