Long March 3B/E | Beidou-3 G4
Launch Successful
L - -- : -- : -- : --
Launch Window
May 17, 2023, 2:39 a.m. - May 17, 2023, 3:33 a.m.
May 17, 2023, 2:39 a.m. - May 17, 2023, 3:33 a.m.
This satellite is a part of the geostationary component of the 3rd phase of the Chinese Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system. It features a phased array antenna for navigation signals and a laser retroreflector and additionally deployable S/L-band and C-band antennas.
Launch success.
Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload identity not confirmed.
The Long March 3B is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is currently the most powerful member of the Long March rocket family and the heaviest of the Long March 3 rocket family, and is mainly used to place communications satellites into geosynchronous orbits.
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
China conducted a pair of launches last week to replenish its Beidou navigation system and send science and radar tech test satellites into orbit.
A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) is an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) technology mission to demonstrate autonomous docking between 2 spac…
Four Astranis MicroGEO communications satellite to be inserted in a custom geostationary orbit, from where they conduct on-orbit maneuvers to reach t…
A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Launched 11 satellites including AZSPACE's DEAR-3 prototype recoverable science experiment spacecraft and the French CASAA-Sat cubesat from the Marse…
Resurs-P is a series of Russian commercial Earth observation satellites capable of acquiring high-resolution imagery (resolution up to 1.0 m).
A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Synthetic aperture radar satellites for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Dedicated rideshare flight to a mid-inclination orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers…
Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.