What's new

China Space Military:Recon, Satcom, Navi, ASAT/BMD, Orbital Vehicle, SLV, etc.

China's Tiangong-1 space station crash: How China lost control of its 'Heavenly Palace'

The country previously admitted
Lol how badly these old Western fake reports turned out. Sick how many of them wouldnt just fabricate false testimonies on behalf of "China" and create histeria with missleading and false reports about the nature of the descent, but so selfevidently hope for the worst case scenario no matter how impossibly small the chance was for it to crash in a dense city and idealy hurth or kill someone, instead of safely landing in the satelite graveyard exactly where it was supposed to be and did, just so they can gloat all over it.
 
Lol how badly these old Western fake reports turned out. Sick how many of them wouldnt just fabricate false testimonies on behalf of "China" and create histeria with missleading and false reports about the nature of the descent, but so selfevidently hope for the worst case scenario no matter how impossibly small the chance was for it to crash in a dense city and idealy hurth or kill someone, instead of safely landing in the satelite graveyard exactly where it was supposed to be and did, just so they can gloat all over it.
This is nothing new. Remember Western fake news back in 2008 during the Tibetan Riots?
W020080324831760783594.jpg
W020080324831762506064.jpg
W020080324831762979562.jpg
W020080324831763445440.jpg

At least now many ppl know the credibility of Western media is complete shit. Back then, people actually believed this type of garbage. I guess more and more ppl around the world are waking up to their senses ... and Western outlets always ask why their press coverage is heavily restricted in China :what:
 
NOTAM:
A2665/18 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N321921E0972452-N330135E0973527-N325154E0982852-N320944E0981753 BACK TO START.ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 09 JUL 03:47 2018 UNTIL 09 JUL 04:15 2018. CREATED: 08 JUL 09:37 2018



Translation:

航天面面观

Today 19:12

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center will use the Long March II C-modified launch vehicle (CZ-2C/SMA Y3) to launch the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellites (two) at 11:47-12:15 on July 9, 2018.

The rocket will carry out the Pakistan remote sensing satellite launch mission in the form of duo satellites in single launch. This is also the return of the Long March II C rocket to the international commercial launch service market after nearly 20 years.

The CZ-2C/SMA rocket of the Long March II (CZ-2C/SMA) rocket has added a solid-fuel stage to improve the carrying capacity.

This is the 19th space launch mission that China will launch this year.

I wish the launch mission a complete success!



151857qbbqsady29e2koc4.jpg
Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1)
141724oddu1ghpyyppvayv.jpg
PakTES-1A - an indigenously developed 285 kg remote sensing satellite of Pakistan. It will be launched at 610 km sun-synchronous orbit in July 2018.
Successfully launched !!

640

640

640

640

640

640


640

China launches two satellites for Pakistan
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-09 13:16:18|Editor: Chengcheng


JIUQUAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China launched two satellites for Pakistan on a Long March-2C rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:56 a.m. Monday.

The PRSS-1 is China's first optical remote sensing satellite sold to Pakistan and the 17th satellite developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for an overseas buyer.

A scientific experiment satellite, PakTES-1A, developed by Pakistan, was sent into orbit via the same rocket.

This is another space cooperation between China and Pakistan since the launch of PAKSAT-1R, a communication satellite, in August 2011.

The PRSS-1 will be used for land and resources surveying, monitoring of natural disasters, agriculture research, urban construction and providing remote sensing information for the Belt and Road region.

Monday's launch is the 279th mission of the Long March rocket series.

DhpC-nzVQAAN79d.jpg

DhpC-8wUwAAT0pQ.jpg

DhpC_PbVAAEEKLF.jpg

DhpC_hQUYAEwdtD.jpg
 
Last edited:
China's High-powered Incoherent Scatter Radars (Read: HAARPs)


Could this new Chinese radar system really be used to play God with the weather?

China is building a system in the South China Sea that can knock out communications systems, but some scientists believe it could have more alarming uses such as causing natural disasters like hurricanes

Thursday, 07 June, 2018

China is building a powerful radar system in the South China Sea that critics say could knock out communication systems, manipulate the weatherand even cause natural disasters.

The system, which sounds like something out of science fiction, uses pulsed energy beams to study and manipulate electrically charged particles in the high atmosphere.

It has civilian and military applications and could challenge US dominance in both spheres.

The US military has already been working on similar technology, but it has proved controversial with critics warning that it could allow governments to play God by causing disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons and tsunami.

Most scientists have dismissed these warnings as alarmist, however, and questioned whether the technology is really capable of doing this.

But while the American programme – funded by the air force, navy and universities – faces an uncertain future due to budget cuts, China is ready to speed up its own work in this field.

The South China Morning Post has learned that Beijing is ready to start work building a powerful machine in Sanya, a resort on the island province of Hainan.

The device, known as a High-powered Incoherent Scatter Radar, would be capable of influencing the ebb and flow of subatomic particles as far away as Singapore, a distance of over 2,000km (1,200 miles).

This facility would be the most powerful radar in the South China Sea and – regardless of whether it can be used to generate extreme climate events – would have multiple military uses, including improving China’s submarine warfare capabilities and disrupting other countries’ communications networks by creating an atmospheric “black hole”.

A Chinese Academy of Sciences official who visited the site in March expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project, according to information on the academy’s website.

During his visit, Li Shushen, vice-president at the academy, urged scientists to use the facility to serve China’s “strategic needs” and pursue “frontier issues” in space.

The machine works by generating rapid pulses of electromagnetic energy and beams them into the ionosphere, a layer of the atmosphere that can reflect radio waves thanks to a high concentration of ions and electrons.

By analysing the radio waves bouncing back off the particles, researchers can precisely measure the disturbance in the ionosphere caused by cosmic activity such as the sun’s rays.

The data can also be used to correct the radar images collected by spy satellites to gather more information and focus more precisely on a specific target.

By fine-tuning the high-energy beam, scientists could also stimulate the lower ionosphere to generate low-frequency waves and send these back to Earth.

These waves can travel long distances through seawater and reach submarines in the deep ocean, which means the technology could be used to send instructions to the subs from the base without the need for them to approach the surface to receive them.

At present the US is still the leader in this field of science. It built a similar programme to study and manipulate the ionosphere in Gakona, Alaska about 10 years ago.

The main purpose of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Programme, or HAARP, was to improve satellite performance and submarine communication, according to scientists funded by the US navy and air force.

But building such a device was technically challenging and the power consumed by the project resulted in mounting costs.

So far, only about 10 such instruments have been built, mostly by the US, former Soviet states and the European Union, in strategic coastal areas such as the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic.

The largest devices can generate and beam extremely low-frequency waves over large areas. Because they have the power to penetrate water, the earth’s crust and the human skull, some observers have warned that the governments could use the technology to set off storms or earthquakes and even control the brain.

However, most mainstream scientists have dismissed such concerns as overtly conspiratorial, arguing that the technology has so far been used to study the weather in space and support certain military operations.

They also point out that however powerful the machines are, they do not at present have enough energy to manipulate weather on any sizeable scale or trigger natural disasters.

The Sanya High-powered Incoherent Scatter Radar would be the first such device in the South China Sea.

The technology allows physicists to use extremely powerful radio waves to stir up the ionosphere – a physical phenomenon called incoherent scattering

This allow researchers to measure the temperature, density and speed of subatomic particles over huge distances and allows them to observe and influence the ionosphere – something a conventional radar cannot do.

One such device has been operating in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan since 2012, according to research papers by mainland scientists. The device, located in Qujing, is being used to study the ionosphere and detect extremely small targets such as nano satellites and microscopic pieces of debris for military and civilian space projects.

A researcher working at the site of the new Hainan project in Tiandu town told the South China Morning Post: “The implementation plan has been approved by the central government. Construction should start before the end of this year.”

A key component of the instrument is a phased array radar panel about the size of a basketball court. The panel consists of individual modules that could be assembled and taken apart, so the facility could be moved from one location to another in a short period of time.

The power of its beam would equal several hundred megawatts, the same amount of energy that would power thousands of households in the US.

A senior Chinese radar expert at Xidian University in Xian, capital of northwestern Shaanxi province, who previously worked with the People’s Liberation Army Institute of Telecommunication Engineering, confirmed that the project would operate with two separate divisions, one for civilian research and the other for military operations.

Sanya is China’s main naval base and houses a fleet of nuclear submarines, but the researcher said there were concerns that the island’s power supplies may prove to be inadequate. Shortages have sometimes been reported on the island, which lacks large generating plants.

The technology was jointly developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Electronics Technology Group and Nanchang University, all with close ties to the military.

A smaller prototype has been collecting data over the past few years, according to scientists at the site.

Zhao Biqiang, a researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and a senior scientist involved in the project, said details of the instrument would not be revealed to the public until two or three years later.

The Sanya programme was officially launched in 2015 with a kick-starting fund of nearly 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million) from the central government.
The goal was to develop and build the “world’s most advanced incoherent scatter radar”, according to information on the academy’s website.

Zhao declined to comment on the facility’s military applications.

“It is too early to talk about what the technology can do. There will be lots of technical challenges and engineering hurdles we may face and have to overcome,” he said.

“The main purpose of this programme is to study the ionosphere over the South China Sea. Currently there is no such device in this region. The data collected by our instrument will fill gaps in our knowledge.”

There were other similar facilities under construction in China with a power output “much larger than ours”, Zhao said.

The project was led by professor Wan Weixing, an award-winning researcher involved in many defence projects on the ionosphere.

In a research paper published in a domestic journal in 2014, Wan mentioned an experiment conducted by Chinese scientists to heat up a large area in the ionosphere with powerful radar waves.

Computer simulation suggested the technology could change the temperature and density of electrically charged particles over an area the size of a large city, according to the paper. Wan could not be reached for comment on the Sanya project.

The People’s Liberation Army has funded a large number of research works on ionosphere weapons. They included an airborne device to release a large amount of chemicals in the high atmosphere to create a communication “black hole” over enemy forces.

In this case the chemical will change the ionosphere to block radio waves. They could also be designed to allow certain signals, such as extremely low frequency waves generated by a satellite, to pass through the ionosphere and communicate with submarines.

There are more immediate safety concerns about the deployment of the powerful electromagnetic instrument in Hainan, a popular tourism destination known as China’s Hawaii.

Liu Wenlong, a professor of physics at the school of space and environment at Beihang University in Beijing said the energy beam of ground-based radar could hit passing planes and the area has high levels of air traffic.

Although he said he did not think it would be able to penetrate the plane’s multiple layers of protection and burn out its chips – because that would require more energy than existing technology could produce – it needed “careful investigation” to check that the man-made pulses will not affect the plane’s ability to communicate with air traffic control.

However, the Xidian University researcher said the facility was likely to have a separate radar to warn passing planes and a facility to shut down operations if planes accidentally came within range.


001de0c4-63ef-11e8-82ea-2acc56ad2bf7_972x_203913-jpg.485307

▲ High-powered Incoherent Scatter Radars across the world.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/soc...-radar-system-really-be-used-play-god-weather

cool_thumb.gif
 

Attachments

  • 001de0c4-63ef-11e8-82ea-2acc56ad2bf7_972x_203913.jpg
    001de0c4-63ef-11e8-82ea-2acc56ad2bf7_972x_203913.jpg
    65.2 KB · Views: 2,577
China launches new Beidou navigation satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-10 06:45:53|Editor: Yurou


137313098_15311837688721n.jpg
China sends a new Beidou navigation satellite into orbit on a Long March-3A rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in the southwestern Sichuan Province, July 10, 2018. The satellite is the 32nd of the Beidou navigation system, and one of the Beidou-2 family, which is the second generation of the system. The launch was the 280th mission of the Long March rocket series. (Xinhua)

XICHANG, Sichuan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China sent a new Beidou navigation satellite into orbit on a Long March-3A rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in the southwestern Sichuan Province, at 4:58 a.m. Tuesday.

The satellite is the 32nd of the Beidou navigation system, and one of the Beidou-2 family, which is the second generation of the system.

The launch was the 280th mission of the Long March rocket series.

China started to construct the third-generation of Beidou system in 2017, and eight Beidou-3 satellites are now in space.

So why launch another Beidou-2 satellite?

"The launch of a backup Beidou-2 satellite will ensure the system's continuous and stable operation," said Yang Hui, chief designer of the Beidou-2 series.

Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, Beidou aims to rival the U.S. GPS system, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo as a global satellite navigation system. The project was formally launched in 1994. It began serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

Since then, the system has provided reliable and free, all-weather and all-time positioning, navigation and timing services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region and has never been out of service, according to the China Academy of Space Technology.

However, some of the Beidou-2 satellites are nearing the end of their lives and need to be replaced by backup satellites. China launched two backup satellites on March 30 and June 12, 2016.

This new backup is not a simple repeat of previous satellites, but has been upgraded to improve its reliability, said Yang.

It carries a rubidium clock, which is the key to the accuracy of its positioning and timing.

When China began reform and opening-up 40 years ago, its satellites mainly used costly imported rubidium clocks. After the launch of the Beidou program, the United States banned exports of rubidium clocks to China.

Sun Jiadong, chief designer of the Beidou system and an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, said China must depend on itself.

China's first self-developed rubidium clock was tested on a satellite in September 2006. The performance of China's rubidium clocks was improved on Beidou-2 satellites.

This year will see an intensive launch of Beidou satellites. The system is expected to provide navigation and positioning services to countries along the Belt and Road by late 2018. By around 2020, the Beidou system will go global.

The Beidou-3 satellites can send signals that are compatible with other satellite navigation systems and provide satellite-based augmentation, as well as search and rescue services in accordance with international standards. The positioning accuracy is 2.5 to 5 meters.

The Beidou system will coordinate with other technology, such as remote sensing, the Internet, big data and cloud computing, in future.

In the past five years, the system has helped rescue more than 10,000 fishermen. More than 40,000 fishing vessels and around 4.8 million commercial vehicles in China have been equipped with Beidou, said Beidou spokesperson Ran Chengqi.

China has sold more than 50 million domestically manufactured chips connected to the Beidou navigation and positioning system in the past five years.

By 2020, the value of China's satellite navigation business is expected to surpass 400 billion yuan (about 58 billion U.S. dollars), of which 240 billion to 320 billion yuan will go to the Beidou system, Ran said.

00720Otxly1ft4g6zrpbaj30zk0mgait.jpg

c37d0c81gy1ft4f1p8fuej20u00k0jv0.jpg

c37d0c81gy1ft4f1oubnxj20u00k0jx4.jpg

00720Otxly1ft4g6ztmb3j31400u00y6.jpg

0077Nzxhly1ft4cc2c69sj31400u07am.jpg
 
央广军事
13分钟前 来自 搜狗高速浏览器
【我国成功发射第三十三、三十四颗北斗导航卫星】2018年7月29日9时48分,我国在西昌卫星发射中心用长征三号乙运载火箭(及远征一号上面级),以“一箭双星”方式成功发射第三十三、三十四颗北斗导航卫星。这两颗卫星属于中圆地球轨道卫星,是我国北斗三号系统第九、十颗组网卫星。

卫星经过3个多小时的飞行,经轨控和相位捕获后,进入工作轨道。后续将进行集成测试与试验评估,并与此前发射的八颗北斗三号导航卫星进行组网运行。

根据计划,年底前将建成由18颗北斗三号卫星组成的基本系统,为“一带一路”沿线国家提供服务。从此次发射开始,北斗卫星组网发射进入前所未有的高密度期。

此次发射的北斗导航卫星和配套运载火箭(及远征一号上面级)分别由中国航天科技集团有限公司所属的中国空间技术研究院和中国运载火箭技术研究院抓总研制。这是长征系列运载火箭的第281次飞行
China National Radio Military
13 minutes ago

[China successfully launched the 33rd and 34th Beidou navigation satellites]

At 9:48 on July 29, 2018, China used the Long March 3B carrier rocket (and the YZ-1 upper stage) at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center to successfully launch the 33rd and 34th Beidou navigation satellites in the "one rocket two satellite" manner. These two satellites belong to the MEO earth orbiting satellite and are the ninth and tenth satellites of the Beidou-3 system in China.

After more than three hours of flight, the satellite enters the working orbit with orbit control and phase capture. The integration test and evaluation would subsequently be carried out, and network to the eight Beidou-3 navigation satellites launched previously.

According to the plan, a basic system consisting of 18 Beidou-3 satellites will be built by the end of the year to provide services for countries along the “Belt and Road”. From the start of this launch, the Beidou satellite network will move into an unprecedented high-intensity launch phase.

The Beidou navigation satellite and supporting carrier rocket (and the upper stage of YZ-1) launched by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd. are jointly developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. This is the 281th flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles.

0077Nzxhly1ftqmxzv7vzj30qo14046n.jpg

102448rgibeimbmy5iwmkm.jpeg

110959ow8f86xjj68cz62u.jpg

670172e1ly1ftqpchdtqvj20m80goq5a.jpg
 
Last edited:
7月,4发全胜!长四乙成功发射高分十一号卫星
中国航天科技集团


今天(7月31日)中午11点,在太原卫星发射中心,长征四号乙运载火箭成功将高分十一号卫星送入预定轨道。该卫星将主要应用于国土普查、城市规划、土地确权、路网设计、农作物估产和防灾减灾等领域,可为“一带一路”等国家重大计划的实施提供信息保障。至此,中国航天科技集团有限公司7月的4次宇航发射均取得圆满成功。
In July, 4 rounds of victory! LM-4B successfully launched Gaofen-11 satellite
China Aerospace Science and Technology Group


Today (July 31) at 11:00, at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the Long March 4B carrier rocket successfully sent the Gaofen-11 satellite into preset orbit. The satellite will be mainly used in the fields of national census, urban planning, land demarcation, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation. It can provide secured information for the implementation of major national plans such as the “Belt and Road”. So far, China Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd. has successfully achieved four aerospace launches in July.

640

▲ 圆满成功(樊哲 摄)

640

▲ 长征四号乙运载火箭直冲云霄(李圣成 摄)
高分十一号卫星由航天科技集团五院抓总研制,是高分辨率对地观测系统国家科技重大专项安排的光学遥感卫星,地面像元分辨率最高可达亚米级。
The Gaofen-11 satellite was developed by the fifth academy of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. It is an optical remote sensing satellite with national major science and technology project support for high-resolution Earth observation systems. The ground level resolution is up to sub-meter level.

640

▲ 星罩组合体转运(马骥 摄)​

执行本次发射任务的长征四号乙运载火箭由航天科技集团八院抓总研制,是一款常温液体推进剂三级运载火箭。该火箭主要用于发射太阳同步轨道卫星,具有可靠性高和适应强的特点。
The Long March 4B carrier rocket that carried out this launch mission was developed by the Aerospace Science and Technology Group Eight Academy. It is a three-stage launch vehicle with liquid propellant at ambient temperature. The rocket is mainly used to launch satellites in the sun-synchronous orbit. It has the characteristics of high reliability and strong adaptability.

640

▲ 长征四号乙运载火箭整装待发(马骥 摄)​


本次任务是长征系列运载火箭的第282次发射。
This mission is the 282th launch of the Long March series of launch vehicles.

文/郭倩
编辑/杨成
监制/黄希

China launches high-resolution Earth observation satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-31 12:11:50|Editor: zh


TAIYUAN, July 31 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday launched Gaofen-11, an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of the country's high-resolution Earth observation project.

The Gaofen-11 satellite was launched on a Long March 4B rocket at 11 a.m. Beijing Time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. It was the 282nd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.

The satellite can be used for land survey, urban planning, road network design, agriculture, and disaster relief. Its data will also be used for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Since the Gaofen project began in 2010, China has gained an increasingly clearer view of the planet.

DjaexnUUUAAJo0Z.jpg

Djae561VsAEeLE6.jpg
 
Last edited:
The 22nd, all successful space launches this year, matches China's own record of 22 launches in 2016. Thanks Henri K for keeping the handy tally religiously :-) and four more twin-satellite launches for BDS plus others within the remaining five months, a new all-time high record for China's aerospace accomplishments is to be set.
 
GF-11: China Enters The Select Club Of Countries That Can Acquire NIIRS 8-9 Satellite Imagery

2 August 2018

On July 31st, China added a new member to its Gaofen Earth Observation constellation: Gaofen-11 (GF-11) was launched atop a CZ-4B rocket. While the early Gaofen satellites were openly described by their designers, this one is a bit more obscure. It was not in the list of planned Gaofen satellites, and the launch caught observers by surprise, so most likely it is a military satellite operating under the guise of the Gaofen programme.

However, the Chinese always lift a bit of the veil of secrecy by releasing footage of the launch, with views of the rocket and of the control center, but also footage of satellite separation. Interestingly, 3D computer models are used in the control center to represent the rocket and its payload, and these models are not censored by the CCTV state television. They even showed those models with some of the military Yaogan satellites, probably as a form of strategic signaling towards their competitors. That way they can show the United States for instance that they mean business when it comes to strengthening their intelligence capabilities. Here is the footage for GF-11:



The most interesting part is this image of the satellite still attached to the third stage of the Long March rocket.

gf11.jpg

▲ Another view of GF-11, still attached to the third stage of the Long March rocket.

Knowing the stage has a diameter of 2.9m, and is almost completely parallel to the virtual camera, the diameter of the satellite’s aperture can be estimated at 1.7m. That means it carries a big mirror: the largest mirror carried by a commercial Earth Observation satellite is Worldview 3 & 4 ‘s 1.1m mirror, manufactured in the USA by ITT Exelis. For non-commercial satellites, the French have published images of their Helios 2 spy satellites, suggesting they have a 1.4m mirror. GF-1 beats them all, and is in fact only outclassed in its category of an optical imaging satellite by two US products:

– the Hubble Space Telescope, which has a 2.4m mirror working at optical wavelengths

– the KENNEN optical spy satellites, generally known under the KH-11 designation, which are rumoured to have a similar mirror size to Hubble. This is supported by the fact that the National Reconnaissance Office gifted two 2.4m optical mirrors it no longer had use for to NASA, which plans to use it for its WFIRST observatory. Additionally, people who have seen high-resolution images of these satellites have described them as “stubby Hubbles“.

kh-added-model-facing-right.jpg

▲ Artist’s view of a KH-11 based on a modified Hubble image.

kh-best-hubble1.jpg

▲ The Hubble Space Telescope

So China seems to have accomplished a great leap forward in space optics. As GF-11 is positioned on a 470km circular 247x693km elliptical orbit, a 1.7m mirror would give it a ground resolution of 7 to 10cm at perigee, at around 10AM local solar time and at 20°N, right over India and the South China Sea. At the average altitude of 470km, the resolution is still 15 to 20cm, surpassing all commercial satellites and most reconnaissance satellites. This propels China into the select club of countries that can acquire NIIRS 8-9 satellite imagery, meaning the resolution is high enough to identify small hand-held weapons. Presumably the only members of this club are the US and now China, and that will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, with maybe Russia joining them later if the Razdan program fulfills its promises.

gf11-2.png

▲ Another view of GF-11, showing a similar architecture to Hubble

Interestingly, China plans to launch a “Chinese Hubble” to accompany its next space station, in the form of a dockable optical astronomy telescope with a 2m mirror. There are likely synergies between the developments in space optics for this national prestige project and the military satellites. Future developments will be even more impressive, and China is clearly aiming to be the new leader in this domain.

tiangong_3_bisbos.jpg

▲ The Xuntian space telescope (left) docked to the Tianhe space station

https://satelliteobservation.net/2018/08/02/gf-11-how-do-you-say-kennen-in-chinese/


cool_thumb.gif
 
China launches new communication satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-04 01:40:41|Editor: Yurou


137154246_15253916150231n.jpg
China launched a new communication satellite "APSTAR-6C" on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Center, May 4, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhengyi)

XICHANG, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China launched a new communication satellite "APSTAR-6C" at 12:06 a.m. Friday at the southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

The satellite was sent into orbit by the Long March-3B carrier rocket. This was the 273rd mission of the Long March rocket series. Both the satellite and the rocket were developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The user of the satellite is Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co. Ltd. The satellite will provide TV transmission, communication, Internet and multimedia services to customers across the Asia-Pacific region.
亚太6C通信卫星在轨交付用户
五院通信卫星事业部 今天
2018年8月7日,亚太6C通信卫星在轨交付仪式在香港亚太通信卫星有限公司(亚太公司)大埔地面站举行,中国航天科技集团有限公司及其所属的长城公司、一院、五院相关领导出席了交付仪式。
APSTAR-6C communication satellite in-orbit delivery to user
China Academy of Space Technology, Communication Satellite Division

On August 7, 2018, the APSTAR-6C communication satellite in-orbit delivery ceremony was held at APT Satellite (Asia Pacific) Co. Ltd. Tai Po Ground Station in Hong Kong. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Limited and its affiliated China Great Wall Industry Corp., First Academy, and Fifth Academy relevant representatives attended the ceremony.

640

640

640
 
From weixin of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation,

震耳欲聋的轰鸣声再次响彻大凉山,安静了四周时间的西昌卫星发射中心迎来了本月的唯一一次宇航发射任务。今天(8月25日)7点52分,长征三号乙/远征一号运载火箭成功执行“一箭双星”发射任务,将北斗卫星导航系统第35、36颗卫星发射升空,随后,火箭上面级成功与双星分离,将其顺利送入预定轨道。
The deafening roar resounded through the Great Liangshan Mountain at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, which was quiet for four weeks, ushered in the only aerospace launch mission this month. Today (August 25) at 7:52, the Long March 3B/YZ-1 carrier rocket successfully carried out the "One rocket Double satellite" launch mission, launching the 35th and 36th satellites of the Beidou satellite navigation system, after which the rocket's upper stage successfully separated from the double satellite and sent it smoothly to the preset orbit.

640


640

640


640

本次任务是北斗全球卫星导航系统的第6次发射,是该系统的第11颗和第12颗卫星。

640

▲ 卫星转场(高楠 摄)​

此前,北斗全球卫星导航系统已成功完成5组卫星的发射。2018年7月29日,北斗卫星导航系统第33、34颗卫星顺利升空,本次任务距离上一次北斗卫星发射成功仅仅不到一个月。

执行本次发射任务的长征三号乙/远征一号运载火箭由中国航天科技集团有限公司一院抓总研制,它是由基础级和上面级组成的四级火箭。

基础级火箭是在长征三号乙运载火箭基础上为适应采用上面级而研制的捆绑式三级液体火箭,其一子级上捆绑了四个助推器。上面级是为发射我国新一代北斗导航卫星而专门研制的采用常规推进剂的轨道运载器。

640

▲ 箭体转场(高楠 摄)
640

▲ 吊装助推器(高楠 摄)​

本发任务中,火箭队伍岗位进一步融合与优化,时间管理更加精细化,各岗位配合更加默契。从本发任务起,长三乙/远征一号火箭正式完成了地面加注系列软件的更改,更改后的地面软件与此前已完成调整的火箭三子级“液位传感器”相匹配,将更好地适应发射场突发状况下加注方案的应急调整,同时也促进了火箭“去任务化”要求的进一步落地。

640

▲ 长三乙/远征一号运载火箭整装待发(高楠 摄)​
 
Last edited:
航天面面观
23分钟前 来自 航天面面观超话
西昌卫星发射中心于2018年9月19日22:07利用长征三号乙/远征一号上面级(CZ-3B/YZ-1)运载火箭发射了北斗三号全球组网卫星(第三十七、三十八颗北斗导航卫星)。
Xichang Satellite Launch Center launched the Beidou-3 global networking satellite at 22:07 on September 19, 2018 using the Long March 3B/Expedition No. 1 (CZ-3B/YZ-1) carrier rocket (Thirty-seventh And thirty-eight Beidou navigation satellites).

006KfcMNly1fvf8gchy6wg30b80k0e88.gif

NOTE: It will take over 4 hrs to reach intended orbit and declare successful completion of the mission.
 
According to Henri Kenhmann (East Pendulum) on 15 Sep:

“China will carry out the 7th Space launch next week for its Beidou positioning and navigation system in 2018. This year's 25th Chinese space flight will take place on Wednesday September 19th between 13h35 and 15h05 UTC.”

See no news on this launch, so perhaps to be done shortly later.
EDIT: what a coincidence, just noted the post by @JSCh above minutes earlier. Look forward its successful news briefly later :)

From his twitter'post:
 
GF-11: China Enters The Select Club Of Countries That Can Acquire NIIRS 8-9 Satellite Imagery

2 August 2018

On July 31st, China added a new member to its Gaofen Earth Observation constellation: Gaofen-11 (GF-11) was launched atop a CZ-4B rocket. While the early Gaofen satellites were openly described by their designers, this one is a bit more obscure. It was not in the list of planned Gaofen satellites, and the launch caught observers by surprise, so most likely it is a military satellite operating under the guise of the Gaofen programme.

However, the Chinese always lift a bit of the veil of secrecy by releasing footage of the launch, with views of the rocket and of the control center, but also footage of satellite separation. Interestingly, 3D computer models are used in the control center to represent the rocket and its payload, and these models are not censored by the CCTV state television. They even showed those models with some of the military Yaogan satellites, probably as a form of strategic signaling towards their competitors. That way they can show the United States for instance that they mean business when it comes to strengthening their intelligence capabilities. Here is the footage for GF-11:



The most interesting part is this image of the satellite still attached to the third stage of the Long March rocket.

gf11.jpg

▲ Another view of GF-11, still attached to the third stage of the Long March rocket.

Knowing the stage has a diameter of 2.9m, and is almost completely parallel to the virtual camera, the diameter of the satellite’s aperture can be estimated at 1.7m. That means it carries a big mirror: the largest mirror carried by a commercial Earth Observation satellite is Worldview 3 & 4 ‘s 1.1m mirror, manufactured in the USA by ITT Exelis. For non-commercial satellites, the French have published images of their Helios 2 spy satellites, suggesting they have a 1.4m mirror. GF-1 beats them all, and is in fact only outclassed in its category of an optical imaging satellite by two US products:

– the Hubble Space Telescope, which has a 2.4m mirror working at optical wavelengths

– the KENNEN optical spy satellites, generally known under the KH-11 designation, which are rumoured to have a similar mirror size to Hubble. This is supported by the fact that the National Reconnaissance Office gifted two 2.4m optical mirrors it no longer had use for to NASA, which plans to use it for its WFIRST observatory. Additionally, people who have seen high-resolution images of these satellites have described them as “stubby Hubbles“.

kh-added-model-facing-right.jpg

▲ Artist’s view of a KH-11 based on a modified Hubble image.

kh-best-hubble1.jpg

▲ The Hubble Space Telescope

So China seems to have accomplished a great leap forward in space optics. As GF-11 is positioned on a 470km circular 247x693km elliptical orbit, a 1.7m mirror would give it a ground resolution of 7 to 10cm at perigee, at around 10AM local solar time and at 20°N, right over India and the South China Sea. At the average altitude of 470km, the resolution is still 15 to 20cm, surpassing all commercial satellites and most reconnaissance satellites. This propels China into the select club of countries that can acquire NIIRS 8-9 satellite imagery, meaning the resolution is high enough to identify small hand-held weapons. Presumably the only members of this club are the US and now China, and that will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, with maybe Russia joining them later if the Razdan program fulfills its promises.

gf11-2.png

▲ Another view of GF-11, showing a similar architecture to Hubble

Interestingly, China plans to launch a “Chinese Hubble” to accompany its next space station, in the form of a dockable optical astronomy telescope with a 2m mirror. There are likely synergies between the developments in space optics for this national prestige project and the military satellites. Future developments will be even more impressive, and China is clearly aiming to be the new leader in this domain.

tiangong_3_bisbos.jpg

▲ The Xuntian space telescope (left) docked to the Tianhe space station

https://satelliteobservation.net/2018/08/02/gf-11-how-do-you-say-kennen-in-chinese/


cool_thumb.gif
China closing the satellite imagery capability gap

By Andrew Tate, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly (14 AUG)

A Chinese Earth-observation satellite launched on 31 July from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre may be capable of achieving ground-image resolution of 10 centimeters or less. If confirmed, this would give China a satellite-imaging capability second only to the United States and possibly comparable to the maximum resolution provided by US imaging satellites.

China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency reported that the Gaofen 11 satellite is an “optical remote-sensing satellite” that was carried aloft by a Long March 4B rocket “as part of the country’s high-resolution Earth observation project”. An article in the Science & Technology Daily, the news outlet of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that the satellite’s ground resolution was “at the sub-metre level”.

Previous Gaofen satellites are part of the civil China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS). However, Gaofen 11 was not included in previously released information related to the civil programme, so it is likely that this satellite will have a primarily military role.

A video of the launch was released by state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), and computer-generated 3D images displayed in the satellite control centre were also shown. These included a representative image of the satellite while still attached to the rocket’s third stage but after the payload faring had been jettisoned.

Analysis of this image published on the website SatelliteObservation.net compared the size of the satellite body with the known diameter of the third-stage module and concluded that the mirror lens is around 1.7 meters across.

The satellite has been placed in an elliptical near-polar orbit, which gives it an altitude of 693 km at its apogee and 247 km at its perigee, which occurs at 10:00 h local time at latitude 20° N -– such as when passing over the South China Sea, India, or Hawaii.

https://www.janes.com/article/82366/china-closing-the-satellite-imagery-capability-gap
 
Back
Top Bottom