Tag: Long March
-
Tianzhou-1 – China launches and docks debut cargo resupply
China is taking another significant step on the road towards a permanent presence in space, following the Long March 7 (TZ-1) launch of Tianzhou-1 – the first Chinese logistics cargo vehicle. The launch took place at 11:40:45 UTC on Thursday from the LC201 Launch Complex at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, followed by docking on…
-
China’s first robotic resupply freighter transferred to launch pad
A Chinese Long March 7 rocket rolled out to its launch pad at the Wenchang space center on China’s Hainan Island on Monday. Credit: Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua Chinese engineers rolled out a Long March 7 rocket to a seaside launch complex on Hainan Island in the South China Sea on Monday, aiming to fire a robotic…
-
China’s highest-capacity communications satellite launched into orbit
A Long March 3B rocket blasted off Wednesday with China’s Shijian 13/Chinasat 16 communications satellite. Credit: Xinhua A Chinese Long March 3B rocket fired into space Wednesday with Shijian 13, also known as Chinasat 16, to deliver Internet connectivity to remote parts of China, airline travelers and high-speed trains. The Shijian 13 satellite also has…
-
Long March 3B launches experimental ChinaSat-16 satellite
The Chinese returned to launch action with the lofting of a new experimental communications satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The launch was conducted by the Long March 3B G2 ‘Chang Zheng-3B/G2’ (Y43) from the LC2 Launch Complex at the Sichuan province site, with T-0 noted as 11:04 UTC. Chinese Launch: The 4.6-tonne satellite…
-
Commercial Earth-observing craft recover from off-target launch
The SuperView 1 satellites pictured before their launch. Credit: Beijing Space View Two Chinese satellites launched into the wrong orbit last month have reached their planned perch at an altitude of around 300 miles (500 kilometers) and sent back their first high-resolution views of Earth for their Beijing-based commercial owner. The two SuperView 1, or…
-
Long March rocket blasts off on first launch of the year
A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 1518 GMT (10:18 a.m. EST) Thursday. Credit: CCTV A new satellite bound for geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator launched aboard a Chinese Long March 3B rocket Thursday, but government officials have released little information about its mission. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported…
-
Long March 3B launches second TJSW spacecraft for China
China kicked off its 2017 campaign with the successful launch of the second Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing (TJSW) spacecraft from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Launch took place at 15:18 UTC on Thursday using the Long March-3B/G2 ‘Chang Zheng-3B/G2’ (Y39) launch vehicle from the LC2 launch complex. Chinese Launch: This launch was set to be…
-
Chinese Earth observation satellites launched into lower-than-planned orbit
Two commercial Earth-imaging satellites launched by a Chinese Long March 2D booster Wednesday are flying in lower-than-planned orbits after an apparent rocket mishap, according to tracking data published by the U.S. military. The two SuperView 1, or Gaojing 1, satellites are flying in egg-shaped orbits ranging from 133 miles (214 kilometers) to 325 miles (524…
-
SuperView duo launched by Long March 2D – Suffers problem
The first Long March 2D to launch from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the first pair of a new civilian multi-sensor commercial remote sensing satellite constellation for China. However, the health of the spacecraft – not least their deployed orbit – is currently deemed to be problematic. The launch took place at 03:23 UTC…
-
China sends carbon-monitoring satellite into orbit
A Long March 2D rocket lifted off Wednesday with China’s TanSat carbon-monitoring satellite. Credit: Xinhua A Chinese satellite designed to track greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere rode into orbit Wednesday aboard a Long March 2D rocket, joining an international fleet of orbiting carbon dioxide monitors aimed at combating climate change. The TanSat mission took off…