Watch the Launch

Additional Media

China launches Chang'e-4, in attempt to be first in landing on far side of the Moon

China successfully launched the Chang'e-4 lunar probe aboard a Long March 3B rocket at 2:23 a.m. BJT on December 8. With a lander and rover, its key mission is to explore the far side of the Moon, a s...

Chang'e 4 (lander and rover)

Overview

Destination: Lunar Orbit
Mission: Robotic Exploration

Lunar Orbit Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chang'e 4 is a Chinese lunar exploration mission, incorporating a robotic lander and rover. Chang'e 4 will be China's second lunar lander and rover. The spacecraft is named after the Chinese Moon goddess. This will be the first mission to attempt soft landing on the far side of the Moon.

Long March 3B/E

Family:
Configuration: B/E

The Long March 3B / E (G2) (CZ-3B / E) is one of the most successful medium-range launchers and the strongest variant of the CZ-3 series. It was specially developed for the transport of heavy communications satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit. The additional designation "E" stands for a higher payload fairing, stretched boosters and extended fuel tanks at the first stage, over the CZ-3B.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    56.3 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    4.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    456.0 T
  • Thrust
    5924.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 3B/E
  • Family
  • Variant
    B/E
  • Alias
    CZ-3B/E
  • Full Name
    Long March 3B/E
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $70000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    12000.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    5500.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 584 Failures: 15 Pending: 7

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

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)


Ariane 64
Success
5 hours, 40 minutes ago
Amazon Leo (LE-03)
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Falcon 9
Success
11 hours, 23 minutes ago
BlueBird Block 2 #3-5
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird Block 1 satellites, requi…


Kuaizhou 11
Go
14 hours, 22 minutes ago
Unknown Payload
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Details TBD.


Long March 12
Success
15 hours, 18 minutes ago
SatNet LEO Group 22
Commercial LC-2 - 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.…


Long March 3B/E
Success
1 day, 8 hours ago
Shijian 31
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Classified experimental Chinese satellite of unknown purposes (officially described for "spatial environment detection" purposes).


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-54
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Kinetica 1
Success
2 days, 14 hours ago
8 x Jilin-1
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

8 Earth observation satellites for the Jilin-1 commercial Earth observation satellites constellation: * High Resolution-04D 01-02 * High Resoluti…


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 5 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-54
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.


H3-30
Success
5 days, 17 hours ago
H3-30 Test Flight
Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2 - Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Test flight of the H3-30 variant of the H3 launch vehicle with 3 LE-9 engines in the first stage and no SRBs. The flight will carry a dummy main payl…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-44
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.