Tag: Yaogan
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Surge in static fires as China’s space sector gains momentum
As China’s launch cadence continues to accelerate, so too has the pace of engine testing in recent weeks. A growing number of commercial launch providers are edging closer to the maiden flights of new vehicles — several of which are still on track to debut before the end of the year. Meanwhile, taikonauts aboard the…
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China Roundup: ZhuQue-3 moves left, Tianlong-3 gets engines, and Chang Zheng rockets launch
China’s upcoming and already operational startup aerospace companies are showing significant progress as of late. Both Tianlong-3 and ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) are getting closer to flight, while governmental rockets currently carry the payloads. Additionally, three more rockets of the Chang Zheng family have been launched in the last few weeks. LandSpace progresses ZhuQue-3 and moves maiden…
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Chinese spaceplane takes flight again; iSpace and LandSpace prepare to hop
China is aiming for a strong finish to 2023, with several high-profile launches happening in a short period. At the same time, both LandSpace, and iSpace have been directing their attention to reusable rocket stages, with vertical takeoff and landing testing of pathfinder prototypes. China’s reusable spaceplane – Chang Zheng 2F/T With the American X-37B…
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China Details Solar System Exploration Plans
In the last few weeks, China has not only conducted several launches — of which one failed — but also detailed its Solar System exploration plans for the next decade, with updated details and target dates for several missions. Chinese Long-Term Solar Exploration Plan At the 74th International Astronautical Congress, China revealed an updated roadmap…
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China launches commercial rocket from the Yellow Sea
China is maintaining its impressive launch cadence in 2023 with five more launches in the past few weeks. These include a barge launch from the Gushenxing-1S rocket and multiple launches of Yaogan satellites. Jilin-1 Kuangfu 02A – Gushenxing-1 On Friday, Aug. 25 at 05:59 UTC, a Gushenxing-1 rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center…
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China launches four rockets and outlines future lunar mission
China has picked up its launch cadence in the last two weeks as they continue to push forward in its ambitious 2023 launch schedule. Not only did they launch three rockets from the Chang Zheng family in a short period of time, but also Gushenxing-1 from Site 95A at Jiuquan joined the mix with the…
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LandSpace readies for second flight of ZhuQue-2 amid launch salvo
LandSpace has confirmed that the second methane-based ZhuQue-2 is fully assembled as the company gears up for its second launch campaign. After the initial first flight failure, this could mean a second attempt to get a methane-fueled rocket to orbit is approaching. While the debut flight of Tianlong-2 is slipping into April, China still launched…
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APStar, Yaogan, and Shiyan payloads lift off from China
China has launched two more missions to orbit, bringing its launch count in January to four launches already. First, a Chang Zheng 2C launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) on Thursday at 18:10 UTC, carrying APStar-6E. On Friday, a Chang Zheng 2D was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), carrying the…
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China completes doubleheader week from Xichang
Another busy week of rocket launches in China has come to a close. On Wednesday, the Yaogan 36 mission launched on a Chang Zheng 2D from Xichang, and on Friday, the launch of Shiyan 21 atop a Chang Zheng 11 rocket was conducted from the same spaceport. In total, four launches were conducted from China…
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China finishing busy Space station year with Shenzhou-15
China has launched the Shenzhou-15 mission to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, Nov. 29, during an instantaneous launch window at 15:08 UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC). It launched three taikonauts to the station to replace the current crew of the Shenzhou-14 mission, using a Chang Zheng 2F (CZ-2F) rocket and launching…