Quote from: Satori on 08/08/2016 08:13 amSJ-17 Shijian-17 to be launched on the maiden flight of the CZ-7.you mean the CZ-5
SJ-17 Shijian-17 to be launched on the maiden flight of the CZ-7.
Well, I can't believe that this piece of news has been missed here..... ....anyway, the LM-5 rocket and everything else for the 1st launch has left the plant at Tianjin and has already been loaded onto ships on the 22nd. Yuanwang-21 & 22 should now be on their way to Hainan Island.Now, one insider who has been spot on with Chinese spaceflight news on Weibo tells people to start booking for hotels "around November 3"....
Any reports of what Shijian 17 will be doing?I hope there won't be a few hundred "orbital spam" cubesats as well!
Quote from: Phillip Clark on 08/08/2016 09:05 amAny reports of what Shijian 17 will be doing?I hope there won't be a few hundred "orbital spam" cubesats as well!In this recent presentation SJ-17 was listed along with the infamous SJ-15 as satellites that assisted development of proximity guidance, navigation and control techniques. Since it also seems to use electric propulsion, maybe that means it's a prototype geostationary satellite inspection (& repairing/"tinkering"? ) spacecraft?