Watch the Launch

Additional Media

China Launches Its First X-ray Space Telescope to Study Black Holes, Pulsars

China launched its first X-ray space telescope to observe black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts, via a Long March-4B rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch...

Huiyan (HXMT (Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope))

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Astrophysics

Low Earth Orbit Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) Jiuquan, People's Republic of China

Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) is a Chinese X-ray space observatory. This will be China's first astronomy satellite, and it is tasked with observation of black holes, neutron stars and other phenomena based on their X-ray and gamma ray emissions.

Long March 4B

Family: Long March 4
Configuration: B

The Long March 4B (Chinese: 长征四号乙火箭), also known as the Chang Zheng 4B, CZ-4B and LM-4B is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, it is a 3-stage rocket, used mostly to place satellites into low Earth and sun synchronous orbits.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    44.1 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    249 T
  • Thrust
    2961 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 4B
  • Family
    Long March 4
  • Variant
    B
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 4B
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    4200 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    1500 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Circle Image
Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 411 Failures: 13 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

Jiuquan, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603)


Kinetica 1
Success
2 days, 1 hour ago
Flight 2
Unknown Pad - Jiuquan, People's Republic of China

Will carry 26 different satellites on a ride-share launch mission, including Earth observation satellites, details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-28
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

28th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commer…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 17 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-4
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 2-10
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

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


Chollima 1
Failure
1 week, 2 days ago
Malligyong-1
Malligyong-1 Pad - Sohae Satellite Launching Station, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Malligyong-1 (meaning "Telescope-1") is a North Korean satellite officially declared to be for military reconnaissance purposes. It failed to reach o…


Long March 2
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Shenzhou 16
Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan, People's Republic of China

Fifth crewed flight to the Chinese space station.


GSLV Mk II
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
IRNSS-1J (NVS-01)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
BADR-8
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

Geostationary communications satellite built by Airbus Defense and Space and based on the Eurostar Neo platform for Arabsat.


Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Kondor-FKA No.1
Cosmodrome Site 1S - Vostochny Cosmodrome, Siberia, Russian Federation

The Kondor-FKA is a small civilian radar Earth observation satellite designed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya as a civilian counterpart to the Kondor-E sate…


Electron
Success
2 weeks ago
TROPICS-3
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Last two operational (TROPICS-06 & TROPICS-07) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a…