Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing 19 - CZ-3C - Xichang - May 12, 2025 (18:09 UTC)

[mikezang]

The NOTAM is similar as CZ-3C f from Xichang, I think it might be CZ-3B.

[PM3]

Could this be Tianwen-2? Or are the rumours about a launch on May 22 reliable enough to exclude a launch on May 12?

[TheKutKu]

Could this be Tianwen-2? Or are the rumours about a launch on May 22 reliable enough to exclude a launch on May 12?

It seems unlikely it is Tianwen 2

https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1914801186856952054

Personally the speculations and rumours I’ve read go in that direction too

[mikezang]

The RCAA NOTAM issued!

[mikezang]

“五一”国际劳动节｜用坚守诠释责任担当

"May 1st" International Labor Day | Using perseverance to interpret responsibility

During the May Day International Labor Day, several test teams of the Rocket Academy carried out their tasks at the launch site as planned. The team members went all out to do a good job in various tasks, fulfilled their job responsibilities, and made new contributions to accelerating the construction of a space power with practical actions.

The Long March 3C carrier rocket launch team stayed at the Xichang launch site and did their best to complete all tasks of the launch mission.

This is CZ-3C from Xichang.

[mikezang]

The payload might be Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-18 （通信技术试验十八号）.

[mikezang]

The number might be Y19.

[mikezang]

The China NOTAM issued!

[TheKutKu]

Launched

[Liss]

Officially:

http://www.news.cn/20250513/870c1c20e8084a0d848c8f33dcb2e29f/c.html

2025 05/13 02:52:36
来源：新华网
Source: Xinhuanet
我国成功发射通信技术试验卫星十九号
Our country successfully launched the Communication Technology Experimental Satellite No. 19
新华社西昌5月13日电（李国利、崔婉莹）5月13日2时09分，我国在西昌卫星发射中心使用长征三号丙运载火箭，成功将通信技术试验卫星十九号发射升空，卫星顺利进入预定轨道，发射任务获得圆满成功。
Xinhua News Agency, Xichang, May 13 (Li Guoli, Cui Wanying) At 2:09 on May 13, our country successfully launched the Communication Technology Experimental Satellite No. 19 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using the Long March 3C carrier rocket. The satellite successfully entered the predetermined orbit and the launch mission was a complete success.
通信技术试验卫星十九号主要用于开展多频段、高速率卫星通信技术验证。
The Communication Technology Experimental Satellite No. 19 is mainly used to carry out multi-band, high-speed satellite communication technology verification.
这次任务是长征系列运载火箭的第575次飞行。
This mission is the 575th flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

[Phazzee]

CALT says this launched TJSW-19: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OTsQeZAlqIjDmj30awSTGg

Patches from CALT and SAST: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FMKlGefs-nMVDjMl3UJz9w

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1922094779959001099

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Set of photos from https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5165699123905011:

[input~2]

ORIGINATOR    "18 SPCS"
OBJECT_ID    "2025-097A"
EPOCH    "2025-05-12T21:24:53.613216"
INCLINATION    "28.5839"
NORAD_CAT_ID    "63924"
APOAPSIS    "35829.767"
PERIAPSIS    "177.988"

[PM3]

Can someone confirm that this was a CZ-3C/G2, as listed at skyrocket.de?

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_chr/lau2025.htm ("This page is under construction: The information may not be well checked or complete.")

[Alter Sachse]

Can someone confirm that this was a CZ-3C/G2, as listed at skyrocket.de?

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_chr/lau2025.htm ("This page is under construction: The information may not be well checked or complete.")

I think this is correct.
My list

[Steven Pietrobon]

Pixel counting indicates a G2.

First picture is 173/134 = 1.29
Second picture is 175/133 = 1.32

G2 is 4/3 = 1.333 and G3 is 4.2/3 = 1.4.

[Bean Kenobi]

Pixel counting indicates a G2.

First picture is 173/134 = 1.29
Second picture is 175/133 = 1.32

G2 is 4/3 = 1.333 and G3 is 4.2/3 = 1.4.

Your method works fine for CZ-3B, but this launch is a CZ-3C. And CZ-3C-3 doesn't exist for the moment without a declared YZ1 upper stage.

Question was between CZ-3C-1 and CZ-3C-2, for which difference is not the fairing.

But, as CZ-3C-1 last flew in 2012, we can maybe be confident it is a CZ-3C-2

[TheKutKu]

I do tend to believe the designation of CZ-3B/C versions is getting somewhat decorrelated with improvements, there have been lots of upgrades over the past years, eg this particular launch had a 40kg payload improvement over the previous one,


or say the CZ-3B Y110 of Tianwen 2 was clearly designated G2 but also had its lot of improvement as part of the recent batch (post-2023) as mentionned there https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5171783804846181?from=old_pc_videoshow  and https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5171620223057975?from=old_pc_videoshow

Chen Minkang: "At the end of 2023, the Long March 3B rocket was replaced. It can be said to be the latest version of the Long March 3B rocket. Both reliability and carrying capacity can better meet the mission requirements of Tianwen-2 this time."

And with the 3A series likely to still have several dozen of launches in the future further improvements will also be likely.