Watch the Launch

Additional Media

China launches satellite to forecast earthquakes from space

China launched a self-developed experimental seismo-electromagnetic satellite on Friday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province, along with other commercial satell...

Zhangheng-1 (CSES)

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Planetary Science

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Zhangheng-1, also known as CSES (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite) is a scientific mission dedicated to studying the ionospheric precursors of earthquakes. Data collected by the mission will also allow studying solar-terrestrial interactions and phenomena of solar physics. This mission is a collaboration between China National Space Administration and the Italian Space Agency. CSES satellite weighs about 730 kg and it is to reside in a 98° sun-synchronous circular orbit at an altitude about 500 km, where it is expected to operate for 5 years.

Long March 2D

Family:
Configuration: D

The Long March 2D, also known as the Chang Zheng 2D, CZ-2D and LM-2D, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is a 2-stage carrier rocket mainly used for launching LEO and SSO satellites.

Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    38.3 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    232.0 T
  • Thrust
    2962.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 2D
  • Family
  • Variant
    D
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 2D
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $30000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    3500.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    1300.0 kg

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 565 Failures: 15 Pending: 10

Agency Type:

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.

INFO WIKI

Related News

ESA

A fall of CubeSats

Four pioneering ESA Technology CubeSats reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the last few months. Each was only about the size of a shoebox or smaller, but despite their diminutive dimensions the missions left an outsize legacy in terms of de…

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603)


Kuaizhou 11
Success
17 hours, 21 minutes ago
8 satellites
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Ride-share launch of 8 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.


Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 8 hours ago
Yaogan 50-02
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-02 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 8 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-48
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-31
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
3 days, 23 hours ago
Shiyan 30 03-04
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

A pair of Chinese satellites reported to be for "Earth observation technological testing and validation" purposes. Actual usage not known.


Long March 8A
Success
4 days, 1 hour ago
SatNet LEO Group 20
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Firefly Alpha
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
Stairway to Seven
Space Launch Complex 2W - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate …


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 17 hours ago
EchoStar 25
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

EchoStar 25 is a direct broadcast satellite, built on the proven Maxar 1300 series platform, which will deliver content across North America. It will…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 17-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Insight At Speed Is A Friend Indeed (BlackSky Gen-3 4)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 4th of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.