China's Space Program News Thread

[anzha]

China launched the Haiyang-1D ocean observation satellite Wednesday with the country’s 13th orbital launch of 2020.

The two-stage hypergolic Long March 2C lifted off at 4:31 p.m. Eastern from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, north China. Indication of the imminent launch attempt came from airspace closure notices days ahead of launch.

The first sign that launch had occurred came just under half an hour after liftoff when launch success was confirmed (

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

) by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., the main contractor for the country’s space programs.

Haiyang-1D is based on a CAST2000 small satellite platform and is stated to have a mass of around 442 kilograms at liftoff.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Also:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

 

[SciNews]

Inside China’s new crewed spacecraft

 

[by78]

ASO-S Solar observation satellite. Due to be launched at the end of 2021. Seen here are components of various sensors to be installed on the satellite.

 

[by78]

The last Beidou navigation satellite is about to be launched.

As an interesting aside, the satellite itself was transported to the launch center by An-124.

Rocket assembly, launch preparation, and other associated images:

 

[by78]

 

[by78]

Command, communications, and telemetry tracking preparations...

The rocket is on the launching pad.

 

[ZeEa5KPul]

@by78 is the launch going to be livestreamed and if so, do you have a link?

 

[by78]

@by78 is the launch going to be livestreamed and if so, do you have a link?

I don't know if it will be livestreamed, although it would seem appropriate for such a milestone. If you find a link to the livestream, please share it here.

 

[by78]

All the Beidou launches so far (over a period of 20 years). The first four sent experimental satellites into orbit. Fifteen launches carried two satellites.