Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
It's a very late kickoff, but the Chinese finally powers up a very exciting year for its spaceflight program with the launch of its sharpest out-in-the-open eyes on the Earth.
The small Long March 2D rocket lifted off from a pad right next to where the Chinese astronauts flies out of the Gobi Desert (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, JSLC) at 04:13 UTC yesterday, deploying the first satellite of its high resolution Earth imaging system, a major governmental technological project that weighs as much as its lunar exploration, manned spaceflight and satellite navigation projects. Yet unlike earlier satellites aimed for military use, this one is custom-designed for the Chinese to acquire meter-class resolution images and reduce reliance on foreign commercial satellites. And right in time too, because a big earthquake just rocked its south-west regions last week, and the satellite's good resolution should be able to map the devastation clearly at a wider swap than using UAVs.
Also on board are 3 cubesats, including the first satellite of Ecuador (made it to national headlines even if "only" a cubesat!), one from Turkey and one from Argentina. All 3 are now broadcasting to ham radio operators around the world.
As posted in the Chinese launch news thread, the cubesat dispenser (made by a Dutch company that also made similar dispensers for several cubesats on many launches this year) also carried a commemorative coin in celebration of the new Dutch king.
The next Chinese launch will be on Wednesday with a Chinese communication satellite. But the most exciting missions are still to come: the next Chinese manned spaceflight mission, Shenzhou 10, is now in active preparation for launch in early June (probably June 7, per recent hardware tracking) for a 15 day flight to continue the gaining of space station operation experience. Then about a dozen launches over the next 8 months, but all eyes will probably on the Chang'e 3 lunar lander and rover mission, now expected to launch in early December and land on Sinus Iridium (speaking in Orbiter world, just east of where Brighton Beach is!) just before Christmas. Exciting times ahead!
NASASpaceflight.com: China back in action with Long March 2D launch of Gaofen-1
Spaceflight Now: Four satellites launched on China's Long March rocket
The small Long March 2D rocket lifted off from a pad right next to where the Chinese astronauts flies out of the Gobi Desert (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, JSLC) at 04:13 UTC yesterday, deploying the first satellite of its high resolution Earth imaging system, a major governmental technological project that weighs as much as its lunar exploration, manned spaceflight and satellite navigation projects. Yet unlike earlier satellites aimed for military use, this one is custom-designed for the Chinese to acquire meter-class resolution images and reduce reliance on foreign commercial satellites. And right in time too, because a big earthquake just rocked its south-west regions last week, and the satellite's good resolution should be able to map the devastation clearly at a wider swap than using UAVs.
Also on board are 3 cubesats, including the first satellite of Ecuador (made it to national headlines even if "only" a cubesat!), one from Turkey and one from Argentina. All 3 are now broadcasting to ham radio operators around the world.
As posted in the Chinese launch news thread, the cubesat dispenser (made by a Dutch company that also made similar dispensers for several cubesats on many launches this year) also carried a commemorative coin in celebration of the new Dutch king.
The next Chinese launch will be on Wednesday with a Chinese communication satellite. But the most exciting missions are still to come: the next Chinese manned spaceflight mission, Shenzhou 10, is now in active preparation for launch in early June (probably June 7, per recent hardware tracking) for a 15 day flight to continue the gaining of space station operation experience. Then about a dozen launches over the next 8 months, but all eyes will probably on the Chang'e 3 lunar lander and rover mission, now expected to launch in early December and land on Sinus Iridium (speaking in Orbiter world, just east of where Brighton Beach is!) just before Christmas. Exciting times ahead!
NASASpaceflight.com: China back in action with Long March 2D launch of Gaofen-1
Spaceflight Now: Four satellites launched on China's Long March rocket
