Jiuquan – Spaceflight Now

China to begin construction of space station this year

January 10, 2021

The core section of China’s space station is scheduled to launch in the next several months, the first of 11 missions carrying lab elements, cargo, and astronauts to the fledgling outpost over the next two years, according to Chinese space program officials.

U.S. companies, led by SpaceX, launched more than any other country in 2020

January 5, 2021

Leading all other nations, U.S. launch providers flew 44 missions in 2020 that aimed to place payloads in Earth orbit or deep space, with 40 successes. China followed with 35 successful orbital missions in 39 launch attempts.

China launches secret military spy payload

December 27, 2020

A secret Chinese military payload, believed to be a surveillance satellite, successfully flew into space Sunday aboard a Long March 4C rocket on China’s 39th and final scheduled orbital launch attempt of the year.

New Chinese rocket successful in debut launch

November 8, 2020

A new four-stage rocket operated by the Chinese launch company Galactic Energy succeeded on its inaugural flight Saturday, delivering a data relay microsatellite to an orbit 300 miles above Earth.

China launches Haiyang oceanography satellite

September 22, 2020

A Chinese oceanography satellite designed to measure wave height and winds launched Monday aboard a Long March 4B rocket equipped with grid fins to help control the first stage’s descent back to Earth, an improvement aimed at keeping falling boosters away from Chinese villages.

Chinese smallsat launcher fails

September 12, 2020

A Chinese small satellite launcher failed after liftoff Saturday, destroying a commercial Earth-imaging payload before it could enter orbit.

China tests experimental reusable spacecraft shrouded in mystery

September 8, 2020

A mysterious space vehicle described by Chinese state media as an experimental reusable spacecraft completed a two-day flight in low Earth orbit Sunday.

China launches another Gaofen Earth observation satellite

August 24, 2020

Another Chinese Gaofen Earth-imaging satellite launched Sunday aboard a Long March 2D rocket, riding to space with a pair of experimental rideshare payloads for the Chinese military.

Earth observation and research satellites ride Chinese rocket into orbit

August 6, 2020

China sent an Earth observation satellite and a university-built research payload into orbit Thursday aboard a Long March 2D rocket.

New Chinese satellite launcher fails on first flight

July 10, 2020

The first flight of the new Chinese Kuaizhou 11 solid-fueled rocket failed to place two small satellites into orbit Friday, and Chinese state media said the cause of the malfunction is under investigation.