In what was one of the most secretive Chinese missions in recent years, a Long March 4C launched three military satellites. The launch, which occurred at 23:37 UTC from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Friday, was the subject of a state media blackout, with news leaking via social media just hours before lift-off.
Chinese Launch:
Chinese media refer to the new mission as launching three technological satellites: namely the Chuang Xin-3, the Shiyan Weixing-7 and the Shijian-15.
The first Chung Xin (?Innovation?) sats were experimental telecommunications microsatellites designed and built by the China Academy of Sciences.
Shiyan Weixing satellites are usually used to test new technologies as well as the Shijian (?Practice?) satellites used for technological demonstration. Shijian-15 probably will test a Chinese robotic arm, a mission that has been planned and announced for some time, while Shiyan-7 will scan for orbital debris.
This was the 179th successful launch of a Chang Zheng (Long March) launch vehicle, the 42nd successful orbital launch from Taiyuan and the first from Taiyuan this year. It was also the fifth successful orbital Chinese launch in 2012.
Launch Vehicle and Launch Site:
With its main commonality matched to the Long March 4B, the first stage has a 24.65 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,340 kg of N2O4/UDMH (gross mass of first stage is 193.330 kg).
The vehicle is equipped with a YF-21B engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,971 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 Ns/kg. The second stage has a 10.40 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter and 38,326 kg, consuming 35,374 kg of N2O4/UDMH.
It includes a YF-22B main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and four YF-23B vernier engines with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922 Ns/kg and 2,834 Ns/kg, respectively).
The third stage has a 4.93 meter length with a 2.9 meter diameter, consuming 12,814 kg of N2O4/UDMH. Having a gross mass of 14,560 kg, it is equipped with a YF-40 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 100.8 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 2,971 Ns/kg.
The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in Ejin-Banner ? a county in Alashan League of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ? was the first Chinese satellite launch center and is also known as the Shuang Cheng Tze launch center.
The site includes a Technical Centre, two Launch Complexes, Mission Command and Control Centre, Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, tracking and communication systems, gas supply systems, weather forecast systems, and logistic support systems.
Jiuquan was originally used to launch scientific and recoverable satellites into medium or low earth orbits at high inclinations. It is also the place from where all the Chinese manned missions are launched.
Presently, only the LC-43 launch complex, also known by South Launch Site (SLS) is in use. This launch complex is equipped with two launch pads: 921 and 603. Launch pad 921 is used for the manned program for the launch of the Chang Zheng-2F launch vehicle (Shenzhou and Tiangong). The 603 launch pad is used for unmanned orbital launches by the Chang Zheng-2C, Chang Zheng-2D and Chang Zheng-2C launch vehicles.
The first orbital launch took place on April 24, 1970 when the CZ-1 Chang Zheng-1 (CZ1-1) rocket launched the first Chinese satellite, the Dongfanghong-1 (04382 1970-034A).
(Images via Chinanews.cn).
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Source: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/07/china-secretly-long-march-4c-three-sats/
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