Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
China has made yet another launch today (the 14th of 2012; for the record, the "Falcon 8" launch is the 12th for the US), deploying a long awaited pair of technology demonstration satellites into a 650 km polar orbit. The Long March 2C rocket (along with a solid upper stage) was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 03:25 UTC today, and deployed the two satellites of the Shijian (practice) 9 mission into orbit in 1 hour. The two satellites are China's first dedicated mission for developing and validating new technologies and Chinese-built components used on future satellites. These include a xenon gas ion engine (a first for China), a multi-spectral camera (on satellite A), a far-infrared camera (satellite B), and various new spacecraft components that promises new breakthrough in improving the lifetime, reliability and performance of Chinese spacecrafts. The two spacecrafts will also test techniques in formation flying.
NASASpaceflight.com: Long March 2C launches Shijian-9 tech demonstrator satellite duo
Spaceflight Now: Chinese demo satellites shot into space by Long March
Photos:
Launch videos:
References:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29982.0
http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-14-1-1.html (in Chinese)
NASASpaceflight.com: Long March 2C launches Shijian-9 tech demonstrator satellite duo
Spaceflight Now: Chinese demo satellites shot into space by Long March
Photos:
Launch videos:
References:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29982.0
http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-14-1-1.html (in Chinese)
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