Tag: China
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Long March 4C lofts three Yaogan Weixing-31 satellites
China launched its second orbital mission in 2021, orbiting three new satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Friday. The launch took place from Launch Pad 94 of the LC43 launch complex using the Long March-4C (Y31) rocket. The Yaogan Weixing-31 Group-02 mission comprises three satellites, with Chinese media referring to the new satellites…
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China’s first launch of 2021 orbits communications satellite
A Long March 3B rocket lifts off from the Xichang launch base with the Tiantong 1-03 satellite. Credit: CASC A Chinese Long March 3B rocket deployed the Tiantong 1-03 satellite to provide mobile communications services after a successful launch Tuesday, the first of more than 40 Chinese space missions set for liftoff in 2021. The…
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Rocket Lab launches communications satellite for OHB
An Electron launcher lifts off Wednesday from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1A in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab A mysterious small satellite built by the German company OHB, purported to be a pathfinder for a Chinese-owned communications constellation, took off from New Zealand Wednesday and soared into orbit on top of a Rocket Lab Electron…
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China opens 2021 with Tiantong-1 launch via Long March 3B
China launched the third Tiantong-1 mobile communications satellite on Tuesday. The launch took place at 16:25 UTC using the Long March-3B/G2 – Chang Zheng-3B/G2 (Y74) rocket from the LC2 Launch Complex at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province. The satellite is an S-band mobile communication satellite developed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology…
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Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches from New Zealand on its first mission of 2021
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying a clandestine payload for the German company OHB. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s live video webcast begins approximately 15 minutes prior to launch, and will be available…
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Rocket Lab set to launch super-secret satellite for German company
An Electron rocket stands on Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1A for the company’s first mission of 2021. Credit: Rocket Lab A small communications satellite built by the German company OHB — a payload so secret that no one has officially disclosed its name or end user — is set to ride a Rocket Lab Electron…
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China to begin construction of space station this year
Components for the Long March 5B rocket that will launch the core module of China’s space station. Credit: CASC The core section of China’s space station is scheduled to launch in the next several months, the first of 11 missions carrying lab elements, cargo, and astronauts to the fledgling outpost over the next two years,…
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Chinese mission returned nearly 4 pounds of lunar samples
Staff members handle the capsule containing lunar samples returned by the Chang’e 5 mission. Credit: Xinhua Chinese officials say they plan to share a portion of the nearly 4 pounds of lunar material returned by the Chang’e 5 mission with other countries, but an allocation for U.S. scientists will hinge on a change in U.S.…
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China launches secret military spy payload
A Long March 4C rocket took off Sunday with the Yaogan 33 satellite. Credit: Xinhua A secret Chinese military payload, believed to be a surveillance satellite, successfully flew into space Sunday aboard a Long March 4C rocket on China’s 39th and final scheduled orbital launch attempt of the year. The military satellite and a smaller…
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China’s Long March 8 rocket successful in debut launch
A Long March 8 rocket lifts off from Sunday (U.S. time) from the Wenchang launch base on Hainan Island. Credit: Xinhua A new Chinese launch vehicle, the Long March 8, has successfully placed five payloads into orbit on its first mission, debuting an expendable booster intended to eventually be outfitted for recovery and reuse. The…