Well take this with a bucket of salt, but someone posted on a Chinese spaceflight forum on some of the key parameters of the rocket and satellite:- the rocket is launched on a 7-axle transport-erector launcher car (probably looks similar to the earlier photos that experts thought to be the car for the DF-41 ICBM)- launch preparation time is only 12 hours- Liftoff mass 30 tonnes- LEO payload 400+ kg- Nominal satellite working orbit at 300+ km altitude; requires propulsion for orbit keeping- KZ-1's optical resolution is 1.2 m- KZ-2, with a much higher resolution down to 0.3m, will be launched next year- KZ-1 made orbital adjustments to observe the aftermaths of the Sep. 24 Pakistan earthquake, with satisfactory resultsOne note of interest is that per another Chinese forum member's observations, the orbital adjustments by KZ-1 on Sep. 27 did actually provide a straight down observation opportunity of Pakistan on Sep. 30; had it not done so it won't have any possible observation opportunity of the area till now within 45 degrees from the nadir.
according to a French forum, this site is a repository of Kuaizhou images. can any Chinese speaker confirm?http://www.nrscc.gov.cn/nrscc/kzyh/index.html
We can see KZ-Y2 designation. Does it mean that the first KZ had Y1 and was launched in 2012? Or Y2 is not the serial number at all.
Actually that's KZ-YZ - YZ presumably stands for yunzhai huojian - i.e. launch vehicle
Probably the first illustration of the KZ launch vehicle ever released......... by none other than its manufacturer CASIC!
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/15/2014 09:53 amProbably the first illustration of the KZ launch vehicle ever released......... by none other than its manufacturer CASIC! So this is an illustration and not a photo of the real launch.
I somehow missed the March 2012 launch. Does someone have a link about what happened and what the speculation is?
Let's compare photos of KZ launch pad after "launch" on March 17, 2012 and photos after launch on September 25, 2013.You can see clear traces from tires of mobile car and clear traces from rocket's flame on photos made on October 9 and December 13, 2013 (after a launch on September 25, 2013).But you can see only clear traces from tires of mobile car on photos made on March 25 and 28, 2012 (after a "launch" on March 17, 2012). There are not traces from rocket's flame on them.So I think there was not a launch in March 2012.Or maybe Chinese have cleaned traces from rocket's flame on the launch pad...
Quote from: anik on 03/27/2014 11:58 amLet's compare photos of KZ launch pad after "launch" on March 17, 2012 and photos after launch on September 25, 2013.You can see clear traces from tires of mobile car and clear traces from rocket's flame on photos made on October 9 and December 13, 2013 (after a launch on September 25, 2013).But you can see only clear traces from tires of mobile car on photos made on March 25 and 28, 2012 (after a "launch" on March 17, 2012). There are not traces from rocket's flame on them.So I think there was not a launch in March 2012.Or maybe Chinese have cleaned traces from rocket's flame on the launch pad... Nobody is interested? Okay.
Ok, lets change the launch tables again!!!
Maybe they have put the rocket on the launch complex, but something didn't work our even before the launchers ignition