Chinese Reusable Space Vehicle

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Low Earth Orbit Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Note: Launch time is approximate. Probable reflight of the Chinese spaceplane capable of returning to Earth, which flew in orbit September 4 - 6, 2020.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 4, 2022, 7:20 p.m.

Launch success officially confirmed.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 2, 2022, 6:32 p.m.

Added launch based on NOTAMs; may have very high uncertainty.


Long March 2

Family: Long March 2
Configuration: F/G

The Long March 2F is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Designed to launch the crewed Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a human-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle. It is launched from complex SLS at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    62.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    464 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Long March 2
  • Family
    Long March 2
  • Variant
    F/G
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 2F/G
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    8399 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft


Active Cargo Unmanned
Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Serial Number: None

First Chinese reusable spacecraft

Chinese reusable spacecraft Details

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Circle Image
Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 454 Failures: 14 Pending: 6

Agency Type: Government

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

The Launch Pad

China Spaceplane Lands After Record 276 Days In Orbit

China’s secretive reusable spaceplane has completed its second mission, successfully landing on May 8th after spending 276 days in orbit.

SpaceNews

China’s spaceplane conducted proximity and capture maneuvers with subsatellite, data suggests

China’s secretive spaceplane may have performed multiple recaptures of an object it released into orbit during its recently completed second flight as part of on-orbit testing.

NASASpaceflight

China launches resupply mission, lands space plane, and readies methane rocket

China plans to continue its ongoing supply chain for the Tiangong Space Station (TSS) by launching the Tianzhou-6 mission. The launch occurred at 13:25 UTC on May 10 and lofted a Tianzhou capsule on top of a Chang Zheng 7 (Long March 7).

SpaceNews

China’s mystery reusable spaceplane lands after 276 days in orbit

China’s secretive reusable spaceplane completed its second mission Monday, landing after 276 days in orbit.

SpaceNews

China’s mystery spaceplane releases object into orbit

China’s secretive reusable spaceplane has released an object into orbit, according to tracking data from the U.S. Space Force.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921)


Falcon 9
Success
18 hours, 8 minutes ago
Galileo L12 (FOC FM25 & FM27)
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Two satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system. Originally planned for launch on Soyuz-ST and then Ariane 6 but both were unavailable. Gali…


Long March 2
Success
3 days, 5 hours ago
Shenzhou 18
Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Seventh crewed flight to the Chinese space station.


Electron
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
Beginning Of The Swarm (ACS3 & NeonSat-1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a technology demonstration mission tasked with deploying a composite boom solar sail. NeonSa…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-53
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week ago
Yaogan 42-02
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 42-02 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 6-52
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

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


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 6-51
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
SuperView Neo 3-01
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Commercial Earth observation satellite built by CAST for China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology Co. Ltd, with 0.5 m resolution over 9 image wavele…


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-49
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 3 days ago
USSF-62
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

First Weather System Follow-on (WSF) satellite. WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental sate…