Long March – Page 8 – Spaceflight Now

Chinese mapping satellite launches on Long March 4B rocket

November 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

An Earth observation satellite designed to collect three-dimensional mapping imagery rode a Long March 4B rocket into orbit Sunday with three smaller spacecraft, including one to test an innovative French-made iodine thruster, and another satellite built for Sudan.

China on pace to resume Long March 5 launches by end of year

October 31, 2019 Stephen Clark

Components for China’s third Long March 5 rocket arrived at the country’s southern launch base this week as teams prepare for the first flight of the heavy-lift launcher since a 2017 mission ended in failure.

China launches mysterious geostationary satellite

October 18, 2019 Stephen Clark

China successfully launched a satellite toward geostationary orbit Thursday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, but the spacecraft’s purpose remained a mystery.

China launches new Gaofen Earth-imaging satellite

October 6, 2019 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Long March 4C rocket delivered into orbit Friday the Gaofen 10 Earth-imaging satellite, a likely replacement for a spacecraft lost in an August 2016 launch failure.

China launches environmental monitoring satellite

September 25, 2019 Stephen Clark

China launched a Long March 2D rocket Wednesday carrying a Yunhai environmental monitoring satellite into an orbit some 470 miles above Earth.

Two more satellites launched into China’s Beidou navigation fleet

September 23, 2019 Stephen Clark

China added two more satellites to the country’s Beidou navigation fleet — an analog to the U.S. military’s GPS network — with a successful Long March 3B rocket launch Sunday.

Five Chinese smallsats launched by Long March 11 rocket

September 19, 2019 Stephen Clark

Five commercial Earth-imaging satellites rode a Long March 11 rocket into orbit Thursday from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China.

China launches Earth-observing satellites, solar sail experiment

September 12, 2019 Stephen Clark

Two Earth-imaging satellites and an experimental solar sail payload rocketed into orbit Thursday aboard a Chinese Long March 4B launcher, the first flight for China’s Long March 4 rocket family since an upper stage failure in May.

Chinasat 18 communications satellite encounters problem after launch

August 20, 2019 Stephen Clark

A communications satellite designed to deliver broadband services to rural China, airline passengers and maritime vessels suffered “abnormalities” after separating from its Long March 3B launcher Monday, Chinese state media confirmed Tuesday.

China launches three military satellites, tests new rocket steering fins

July 26, 2019 Stephen Clark

China launched a Long March 2C rocket Friday with three Yaogan 30 military satellites, and tested new grid fins on the Long March’s first stage to help guide the spent booster away from populated areas.