Author Topic: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch  (Read 22533 times)

Offline Satori

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CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« on: 11/14/2010 08:49 pm »
According to http://guba.eastmoney.com/look,600677,2010959358.html, the prelaunch testing is being done on the CZ-3A launch vehicle for the ZX-20A launch.

Launch should take place at the end of November, but some rumors point to a delay to 2011.
« Last Edit: 11/23/2010 06:26 pm by Satori »

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #1 on: 11/17/2010 12:42 pm »
Subscriptions have started for a stamp comemorating an upcoming launch at the end of November (http://gyh.941jy.com/read-htm-tid-37552.html).

This can be the ZX-20A launch. On the 9ifly Chinese space forum a member pointed a possible November 22 launch date.

Offline shuttlefan

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #2 on: 11/17/2010 01:13 pm »
Subscriptions have started for a stamp comemorating an upcoming launch at the end of November (http://gyh.941jy.com/read-htm-tid-37552.html).

This can be the ZX-20A launch. On the 9ifly Chinese space forum a member pointed a possible November 22 launch date.

What is the 'ZX-20A'?

Online Liss

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #3 on: 11/17/2010 02:02 pm »
What is the 'ZX-20A'?
Zhongxing-20A, also known as Shentong-1 02; a geostationary military comsat.
This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #4 on: 11/22/2010 05:41 pm »
No new info regarding launch preparations at Xi Chang. Weather forecast for Xi Chang for the next days point to rain.

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #5 on: 11/23/2010 11:36 am »
The are rumors that the launch can take place tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Online Liss

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #6 on: 11/23/2010 12:15 pm »
A7964/10 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY N243631E1145407-N245345E1140408-N243830E1135754-N242119E1144748 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS: SFC-UNL.ALL ACFT ARE PROHIBITED TO FLY INTO THE AREA. SFC - UNL, 24 NOV 16:03 2010 UNTIL 24 NOV 16:39 2010. CREATED: 23 NOV 12:38 2010
This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #7 on: 11/23/2010 12:35 pm »
Great Liss, so we can expect a launch a few minutes after 1603UTC on November 24th.

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #8 on: 11/23/2010 01:23 pm »
Official launch announcement from Xinhua: http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-11/23/c_12808403.htm (in Chinese).
« Last Edit: 11/23/2010 01:26 pm by Satori »

Offline Satori

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CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #9 on: 11/23/2010 06:25 pm »
Announcement from Xinhua in english, China to launch communications satellite
« Last Edit: 11/23/2010 06:27 pm by Satori »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A, November 2010 launch
« Reply #10 on: 11/24/2010 07:26 am »
Quote from:  NOTAM quoted by Liss
A7964/10 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY N243631E1145407-N245345E1140408-N243830E1135754-N242119E1144748 BACK TO START
This is the CZ-3A fairing dropzone, a 90 x 30 km polygon spread across NE Guangdong/SW Jiangxi.
Quote
ALL ACFT ARE PROHIBITED TO FLY INTO THE AREA. SFC - UNL, 24 NOV 16:03  2010 UNTIL 24 NOV 16:39 2010
According to CALT, the fairing is separated typically 3mn 57s after lift-off.
From past experience with such nofly zone timings, lift-off could occur today at around 16:05 UTC.
« Last Edit: 11/24/2010 08:54 am by input~2 »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #11 on: 11/24/2010 05:12 pm »
According to US observations:
Object 2010-064A
on GTO orbit:
41756.0 x 196.8 km; inclined 24.9°
« Last Edit: 11/24/2010 05:14 pm by input~2 »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #12 on: 11/24/2010 06:24 pm »
"PRC" is confirmed as the originating country for object 2010-064A, so it looks like a successful launch.
Official chinese confirmation should appear soon.

Offline Satori

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #13 on: 11/24/2010 07:50 pm »
Very interesting indeed! Why is taking so long to announce the launch. I think that this delay can be a signal of the military importance nature of this satellite.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #14 on: 11/24/2010 10:44 pm »
Rui's article. We know it's launched, so I'm not holding this back just for an exact launch time:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/11/china-launches-shen-tong-1-military-satellite-via-long-march-3a/
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Offline jcm

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #15 on: 11/25/2010 01:06 am »
And it's official
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-11/25/c_12814294.htm
 北京时间25日0时9分,中国在西昌卫星发射中心用“长征三号甲”运载火箭,将“中星-20A”通信广播卫星成功送入太空预定轨道。中新网发 王玉磊 摄

from google translate:
Beijing time at 0:09 on the 25th, the Chinese Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the "Long March III A" carrier rocket, will be "in the Star-20A" successful communication and broadcasting satellite into space orbit. 

so 0009 Nov 25 BT = 1609 UTC Nov 24
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Online Chris Bergin

Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #16 on: 11/25/2010 01:27 am »
Cool, thanks!
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Offline jcm

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #17 on: 11/25/2010 01:50 am »
Cool, thanks!

No problem! I'm very proud that I've figured out the trick of finding the satellite name in the Chinese version of the prelaunch article that Satori posts and cutting-and-pasting it into google news...
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Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #18 on: 11/25/2010 04:23 am »
And it's official
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2010-11/25/c_12814294.htm
This  release from Xinhua is dated 08:59:39 BT (and was uploaded at 08:57:53 BT ) while the original MoD release:
http://news.mod.gov.cn/headlines/2010-11/25/content_4210071.htm
is   dated 05:15:37 BT and was uploaded at 07:46:57 BT, i.e. some 7 hours  and 38 minutes after lift-off!                      

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #19 on: 11/25/2010 04:34 am »
A video of the launch at:
http://video.sina.com.cn/p/news/c/v/2010-11-25/082861192939.html

For Rui, the exact time of lift-off was 16:09:04.339 UTC  ;)

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #20 on: 11/25/2010 05:00 am »
Both TTC ships, YuanWang-3 and YuanWang-5 in the Pacific, were used to  send commands to the spacecraft represented below (as from the video).

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #21 on: 11/25/2010 05:18 am »

Online Salo

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #22 on: 11/25/2010 05:26 am »
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-11/25/c_13622104.htm
Quote
China launches communications satellite

English.news.cn   2010-11-25 14:00:16

XICHANG, Sichuan, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched a communications satellite, "Zhongxing-20A", at 12:09 a.m. Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"Zhongxing-20A" would help improve the country's radio and television broadcasts, said a statement from the center.

The satellite was sent by a Long March 3A rocket into the preset orbit.

It was the 135th launch of China's Long March series of rockets since April 24, 1970, when a Long March-1 rocket successfully sent China's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into space.

Offline input~2

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Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #24 on: 11/25/2010 05:45 am »
New US observation today at 0448UTC shows object 2010-064A in the following orbit:
215.7 x 41848.4 km: inclined 24.89°

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #25 on: 11/25/2010 04:26 pm »
The CZ-3A first stage debris fell near Gaopingsi village (N265445E1072154) in Guizhou province.
(source with more pictures; also here)
« Last Edit: 11/25/2010 04:50 pm by input~2 »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #26 on: 11/29/2010 03:45 pm »
The CZ-3A fairing debris was found in Maoshan forest  - N243842E1141544 -(Quannan county, Jiangxi province) within the preset drop zone (indicated earlier in this thread)
(source)
« Last Edit: 11/29/2010 03:53 pm by input~2 »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #27 on: 09/24/2011 07:50 pm »
A printed reference to the military name "Shentong-1-2" on this commemoration envelope
(source)
« Last Edit: 10/13/2011 12:20 pm by input~2 »

Offline input~2

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Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #28 on: 09/24/2011 07:50 pm »
« Last Edit: 10/13/2011 12:20 pm by input~2 »

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: CZ-3A ZhongXing-20A - November 24, 2010 launch
« Reply #29 on: 11/02/2012 12:14 pm »
A model of ZX-20 in Xichang - notice the 3 dish antennas. Also note that the display board mistaken it as ZX-22, and vice versa.

Source: http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=1793&pid=226916

Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

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