Tianhui-1 (04) - CZ-2D - Jiuquan - 29 July 2021 (04:01 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Tianhui-1 satellites

Launch threads with UTC launch date and time:
Tianhui-1 (01)  0710:04.075 24 August 2010 UTC
Tianhui-1 (02)  0710:04.736 6 May 2012 UTC
Tianhui-1 (03)  0710:04.462 26 October 2015 UTC

Cross-post:

A CZ-2D launch from Jiuquan is expected on July 27 according to https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Xz4F5mi8rQyOqpHyxD2pHA .
Also, the Tianhui 1 04 Test Team exists.
It is not known if the July 27 launch involves Tianhui 1 04.

From the Tianhui-1 (02) launch thread:

First TLE set from NORAD shows the satellite is in a  492.8 x 503.6 km x 97.36 deg. orbit. (@ 09:52 UTC)

And the orbit is sun-synchronous with a descending node local time of 13:30, same as the initial TH 1-01 orbit...

Operating from the assumption that this launch is for Tianhui-1 (04):

If this satellite is directly replacing one of the previous three: I predict it will also launch close to or on 0710 UTC, to achieve a sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for stereo-topographic mapping, with a Local Time of Descending Node (LTDN) of 1330 local time.

If this satellite is launching for a similar orbit, but with a differing Local Time of Descending Node (LTDN), then the launch time of day would also differ accordingly.

This would also be the third CZ-2D launch in calendar year 2021, out of seven total, which have utilized or will utilize Taiyuan, Jiuquan, and Xichang.  It may also carry one or more secondary satellites.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Turns out the launch is scheduled 2 days late, at a different time of day:

A1703/21 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY:
N331023E0983155-N331359E0980950-N335111E0981822-N334731E0984037
BACK TO START. ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY
RESTRICTED AREA.
VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 29 JUL 03:45 2021 UNTIL 29 JUL 04:27 2021.
CREATED: 24 JUL 06:31 2021
       
A1702/21 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY:
N351402E0985610-N351608E0984312-N353719E0984814-N353517E0990116
BACK TO START. ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY
RESTRICTED AREA.
VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 29 JUL 03:45 2021 UNTIL 29 JUL 04:21 2021.
CREATED: 24 JUL 06:30 2021

[Conexion Espacial]

Launch Confirm, 04:01 UTC

[Conexion Espacial]

Mission Patch and Rocket

[Galactic Penguin SST]

[Conexion Espacial]

[Galactic Penguin SST]

[SciNews]

Short launch video

[Liss]

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-07/29/c_1310094056.htm

China launches Tianhui I-04 satellite
Source: Xinhua | 2021-07-29 12:38:07 | Editor: huaxia
JIUQUAN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched the Tianhui I-04 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at noon on Thursday.
The satellite was launched by a Long March-2D rocket at 12:01 p.m. (Beijing Time), and then successfully entered the planned orbit.
This was the 381st flight mission of the Long March rocket series. Enditem

[jcm]

No TLEs yet  - but objects 49049 49050 49051 are a gap in the catalog prior to the Electron 2021-068 objects.

[Liss]

Object 49049 = 2021-067A found.
97.48° 488.0 503.5 km 94.52 min as expected.