China's Long March rocket launches five satellites – Spaceflight Now



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A long-running 2D rocket takes off from the Jiuquan launch pad with the Shiyan 6 satellite and four other payloads. Credit: Chinanews.com

Five satellites came into orbit Monday from the Jiuquan launch base in northwestern China, including a trajectory plotter for a planned constellation of low-altitude relay satellites and a mysterious spacecraft described ambiguously. by the Chinese media.

The two-stage recall of Long March 2D was launched on Monday in Jiuquan, in the Gobi Desert, in the Inner Mongolia (northwest) region of northwestern China, said Monday. Chinese Xinhua News Agency.

Powered by more than 650,000 pounds of thrust from its hydrazine-powered first-stage engines, the Long March 2D rocket is far from Jiuquan at 7:40 am Beijing time on Tuesday just before the sunrise in the distant desert space port.

Xinhua said the launch was a success and US military tracking data indicated that several objects attributed to the mission were flying 500 km above the Earth on a 97.4-degree inclined pathway. ; equator.

Chinese official media has identified the Shiyan 6 satellite as the launch's main payload, adding that the satellite "will be used to conduct space exploration experiments".

Shiyan means experience in Chinese, and previous satellites in the series included Shiyan 7, which drew attention in 2013 when it flew very close to another Chinese spacecraft, apparently testing close-up navigation techniques and appointments and demonstrating a robotic arm.

Other Shiyan satellites have tested digital terrestrial digital imaging technology in orbit.

The four smaller payloads aboard the Long March 2D rocket included the approximately 45 kg Jiading 1, or OKW 1 spacecraft, the first of a planned fleet of low Earth orbit communications satellites for Space OK. , a satellite of Shanghai. company based in

The Tianzhi 1 satellite launched on Monday will test a new software-defined design to facilitate the reconfiguration and reconfiguration of spacecraft from the ground up. Developed by the Academy of Innovation for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianzhi 1 "will be used to conduct experiments on research and development of open source satellite software on Android platforms, "reported Xinhua.

The Tianping 1A and 1B will be used to help calibrate equipment at the ground control stations, Xinhua said.

Monday's Monday's 2D mission, which took place Monday, was China's 34th attempt to launch space, further extending the record pace of the country's space program. All attempts to launch China, except one, have been successful.

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