Subj : Atmospheric research satellites launched by Chang Zheng 11 To : All From : NasaSpaceFlight Date : Wed Mar 30 2022 19:45:04 Atmospheric research satellites launched by Chang Zheng 11 Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:39:39 +0000 Description: China successfully launched three Tianping-2 satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday morning The post Atmospheric research satellites launched by Chang Zheng 11 appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com . FULL STORY ====================================================================== China successfully launched three Tianping-2 satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday morning using the Chang Zheng 11 rocket. The information surrounding the payload of Tianping-2 satellites is not comprehensive, however, they are built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). Three individual satellites, Tianping-2 A, Tianping-2 B, and Tianping-2 C, were successfully inserted into Earth orbit and will perform atmospheric research, data collection, forecasting, and modeling. Wednesdays launch marked the first time Tianping-2 satellites have flown, and as such, it is not known whether there will be any additions to the three now in orbit. Liftoff took place at 02:29 UTC at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), situated in the Gobi Desert and approximately 200 kilometers from the city of Jiuquan. JSLC acts as one of Chinas main launch sites, alongside the likes of the Xichang and Taiyuan Launch Centers. A day before the launch of the Tianping-2 satellites, the Chang Zheng 6A successfully launched from Taiyuan marking two orbital flights in just over 24 hours for China. CZ-11 ascends from Jiuquan on Wednesday morning The Chang Zheng 11 (internationally known as Long March 11) was used for Wednesdays launch. This four-stage, small satellite launcher has gained more flight experience in recent years but has endured a relatively mundane manifest of 12 missions since its debut in 2015. See Also Tianping-2 Updates China Forum Section L2 Resources Click here to Join L2 Manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the vehicles hallmark is versatility, designed to be launched on short notice from a variety of environments, such as from land via road vehicles (CZ-11) or offshore on sea vessels (CZ-11H). Such a capability is very strongly linked to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM), from which the CZ-11 is believed to have been adapted. Standing nearly 21 meters tall and two meters in diameter, the vehicle can deliver up to 350 kg to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), a popular destination for the small satellite class it serves. The CZ-11 can use either a 1.6 meter or 2.0-meter diameter payload fairing. The vehicle is comprised of four stages, all of which use solid propellants, with the fourth stage classed as a Reaction Control System (RCS). The choice for the vehicle to be fully solid-fueled comes from its origins as a missile since this kind of propulsion is more storable compared to liquid propellants, which are uncommon in quick-reaction missiles. CZ-11H and the De Bo 3 launch platform in September 2020 Wednesdays launch exhibited the land-launched variant of Chang Zheng 11, rather than the variant which is launched offshore on a launch platform, known as the CZ-11H variant. CZ-11H has launched twice, in June 2019 and September 2020, both from the Yellow Sea on maritime launch platforms known as Tai Rui and De Bo 3, respectively. The latter is believed to be the dedicated platform henceforth featuring logistical improvements, it being an adapted carrier vessel as opposed to the adapted barge of Tai Rui. Owing to the nature of CZ-11 needing relatively-simple infrastructure to launch, these launch platforms require minimal equipment on board. Another offshore launch of CZ-11H is expected this year, alongside CZ-11 launch operations from the Jiuquan and Xichang Satellite Launch Centers. In both onshore and offshore launch settings, the vehicle is stored inside a launch tube in which it can stay for extended periods of time, and is ejected from the tube before the vehicle ignites its solid-propellant first stage mid-air. Video of the launch note how it pops out of its launch tube: pic.twitter.com/gJztf0C1PX Cosmic Penguin (@Cosmic_Penguin) March 30, 2022 Wednesdays Chang Zheng 11 exhibited upgrades in the first stage servo mechanism for ease of maintenance and launch readiness, along with improvements in production which will allow CALT to build more rockets in advance to meet customer demand. Chang Zheng 11 will undergo an overall upgrade, with an increase in stage diameter to 2.65 meters, which will, in turn, increase the thrust in the solid propellant vehicle, as well as a materials change from steel to composites for weight reduction. With a new 3.35-meter payload fairing, the upgrade will allow the vehicle to lift 1,500 kg to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) in a significant capability boost. Both onshore and offshore launch capabilities will be retained. Following Wednesdays launch, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) announced its intention to fly Chang Zheng 11 four to five times in 2022, both from land and sea, including one to two commercial missions. The vehicle has only been launched up to three times in a calendar year to date. If this prospective manifest holds, this CZ-11 record will be broken and set a precedent for future interest in the vehicle. Wednesdays launch was from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) which became operational in 1958, one of the earliest sites of its kind in the country and serving as a benchmark for the other centers that followed. With a rich history of launching rockets from the Chang Zheng family, JSLC is typically used for high inclination, Low Earth Orbit scientific missions. The successful launch of the Tianping-2 satellites marks the 413th flight of the Chang Zheng rocket family. (Lead image: Liftoff of Chang Zheng 11 carrying three Tianping-2 satellites on Wednesday morning.) The post Atmospheric research satellites launched by Chang Zheng 11 appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com . ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/03/tianping-2-cz-11/ --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Science News (1337:1/100) .