Watch the Launch

Yunhai 3-02

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Launch Complex 9A Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese satellite reported for atmospheric/ocean/environmental/spatial parameter research purposes, details TBD.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • March 26, 2024, 11:37 p.m.

Launch success confirmed.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 23, 2024, 9:33 a.m.

Added launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle identities highly uncertain.


Long March 6A

Family:
Configuration: A

The Long March 6A is a Chinese launch vehicle of the Long March family, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The vehicle is a further development of the Long March 6, with 2 YF-100 engines on the first stage as opposed to 1 on the Long March 6, augmented by 4 solid rocket boosters. The Long March 6A is China's first rocket with solid rocket boosters. The maiden launch of the Long March 6A took place 29 March 2022, successfully reaching orbit. It was also the first launch from the newly built launch complex 9A in Taiyuan.

Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    50.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    530.0 T
  • Thrust
    7230.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 6A
  • Family
  • Variant
    A
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 6A
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    6400.0 kg

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 562 Failures: 15 Pending: 9

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

SpaceNews

Long March 6A launches second Yunhai-3 satellite

China added to its fleet of secretive meteorological satellites with the launch of Yunhai-3 (02) late Tuesday.

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Delta IV Heavy swan song, Falcon 9 and Soyuz launches on tap for last week of March

A trio of Falcon 9 Starlink launches, a Falcon 9 non-Starlink launch involving an Eutelsat communications satellite, a Chinese launch, and a Russian Soyuz launch with a Resurs Earth observation satellite are scheduled for this week. Howeve…

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Complex 9A


Ariane 64
Success
13 hours, 15 minutes ago
Amazon Leo (LE-01)
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…


Vulcan VC4S
Success
20 hours, 38 minutes ago
USSF-87
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

USSF-87 will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites GSSAP-7 and GSSAP-8 directly to a near-geosyn…


Proton-M
Success
21 hours, 8 minutes ago
Elektro-L No.5
81/24 (81P) - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Elektro-L is a series of meteorological satellites developed for the Russian Federal Space Agency by NPO Lavochkin. They are designed to capture real…


Smart Dragon 3
Success
23 hours, 23 minutes ago
PRSC-EO2 & 6 satellites
South China Sea (launch location 3) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Carried 7 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit, including PRSC-EO2 (Earth observation satellite for the Pakistan government's SUPARCO) & CUHK-1. Detai…


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 12 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-34
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.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 9 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-33
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 2F/G
Success
6 days, 2 hours ago
Chinese Reusable Space Vehicle
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

4th flight of the Chinese spaceplane capable of returning to Earth.


Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Success
1 week ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
43/4 (43R) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Unknown classified payload(s) for the Russian military.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 17-32
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 2C
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
AlSat 3B
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Earth observation satellite built by China's CAST for the Algerian Space Agency.