Author Topic: CH launch yesterday?  (Read 14546 times)

Offline squidf

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CH launch yesterday?
« on: 11/12/2007 02:00 am »
Anyone hear anything about a space launch from China yesterday?

Offline MartianBase

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RE: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #1 on: 11/12/2007 05:06 am »
military or commercial ?

i think something was due from Taiyuan


Offline s^3

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #2 on: 11/12/2007 05:22 am »
Quoting from Satori's note to his marvellous schedules ( dated 11/11/2007 )

' According to reliable sources we should expect a Chinese launch in the next days. A CZ-4B Chang Zheng-4B will be launched with a YaoGan-3 (Jian Bing-5 (2)) satellite on board. This will possibly be the final Chinese launch for 2007. '


Is that the one that you are saying?

Offline edkyle99

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RE: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #3 on: 11/12/2007 05:34 am »
Quote
squidf - 11/11/2007  9:00 PM

Anyone hear anything about a space launch from China yesterday?

Xinhua reported that a "Long March-4C" launched Yaogan 3, a remote sensing satellite, from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, on Nov. 12, 2007 Beijing time (late November 11 Universal Time).  According to Xinhua, "[t]he 2,700-kilogram satellite will be used for scientific research, land resources surveying, crop yield estimate and disaster prevention and relief".

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2007-11/12/content_6247560.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/071112/481/a596b3204a684370ad57189f07b5c790
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/071112/481/b20d69415f424192acbe1198c96cdc49

I've never heard of a "Long March 4C".  Other reports said that this was to be a Long March 4B.  Perhaps a new variant?

 - Ed Kyle


Offline William Graham

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #4 on: 11/12/2007 07:02 am »
Doesn't look like a 4B. Look at the images:

http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_031027.html - CZ-4B
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2007-11/12/content_6247560.htm - CZ-4C?


The interstage is completely different, being solid on the 4C, but not on the 4B. The bottoms of both stages appear to be different, the 4C having something sticking out on both stages. The fairing also apperars to be wider.

Offline hesidu

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #5 on: 11/12/2007 08:13 am »
http://www.spacechina.com/cpyjs_yzhj_Details.shtml?recno=2730

Here is a web page of CASTC(China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation). There is a CZ-4C, which is based on CZ-4B.
It's third stage has second boot technology(I don't the translation is right or not), which greatly increase the capability of the rocket.

Offline Esse

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #6 on: 11/12/2007 09:05 am »
...second boot technology...

maybe boot=ignition ?

Online Satori

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #7 on: 11/12/2007 09:31 am »
Humm, the YanGan-1 was launched by a CZ-4B/2 (or CZ-4B Batch 2). Maybe the CZ-4C designation is applied to this variant of the CZ-4B.

Offline Heg

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #8 on: 11/12/2007 09:58 am »
Quote
Esse - 12/11/2007  11:05 AM

...second boot technology...

maybe boot=ignition ?
Probably restart.
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Online Liss

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #9 on: 11/12/2007 10:41 am »
Look at launch photos: you will not see the truss-type interstage between stages 1 and 2 like on CZ-4B. So we may see a completely new second stage.
This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

Online Liss

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #10 on: 11/12/2007 10:47 am »
Quote
Here is a web page of CASTC(China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation). There is a CZ-4C, which is based on CZ-4B.
It's third stage has second boot technology(I don't the translation is right or not), which greatly increase the capability of the rocket.

A babelfish translation gives --

"CZ-4C" the rocket is in the "CZ-4B" in the rocket foundation, three stage motors use two times of starts technologies, largely sharpened the payload delivery ability.
This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

Online Satori

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #11 on: 11/12/2007 11:11 am »
Quote
Liss - 12/11/2007  5:47 AM

Quote
Here is a web page of CASTC(China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation). There is a CZ-4C, which is based on CZ-4B.
It's third stage has second boot technology(I don't the translation is right or not), which greatly increase the capability of the rocket.

A babelfish translation gives --

"CZ-4C" the rocket is in the "CZ-4B" in the rocket foundation, three stage motors use two times of starts technologies, largely sharpened the payload delivery ability.

So, we have a 'new' launch vehicle here. And the question at this time: why a new launch vehicle with certainly improved capabilities to launch YanGan-III (Jian Bing-5 (2))? The first Jan Bing-5 was launched by a CZ-4B/2...

Offline squidf

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #12 on: 11/12/2007 11:16 am »
Thanks.  That's exactly what I was looking for!

Offline Jim

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RE: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #13 on: 11/12/2007 11:35 am »
I didn't know Switzerland had a launch yesterday.

CH is the designation for Switzerland

Offline William Graham

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #14 on: 11/12/2007 04:20 pm »
Quote
Satori - 12/11/2007  12:11 PM

Quote
Liss - 12/11/2007  5:47 AM

Quote
Here is a web page of CASTC(China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation). There is a CZ-4C, which is based on CZ-4B.
It's third stage has second boot technology(I don't the translation is right or not), which greatly increase the capability of the rocket.

A babelfish translation gives --

"CZ-4C" the rocket is in the "CZ-4B" in the rocket foundation, three stage motors use two times of starts technologies, largely sharpened the payload delivery ability.

So, we have a 'new' launch vehicle here. And the question at this time: why a new launch vehicle with certainly improved capabilities to launch YanGan-III (Jian Bing-5 (2))? The first Jan Bing-5 was launched by a CZ-4B/2...

How important is the spacecraft? Maybe they're using a less important payload to test it, before they use it to launch a more important one.

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #15 on: 11/12/2007 04:52 pm »
Quote
GW_Simulations - 12/11/2007  11:20 AM

How important is the spacecraft? Maybe they're using a less important payload to test it, before they use it to launch a more important one.

I think the payload is a very important one. According to my sources it's the second Jian Bing-5 satellite. This is believed to be a SAR satellite, so I think it's a important spacecraft.

Online Satori

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #16 on: 11/13/2007 10:41 am »
This information about the CZ-4C has arrived today (thank you very much to my source):

According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the "CZ-4C" add 3rd stage engine restart ability.

But in fact, the 3rd stage engine YF-40 already have restart ability. I remeber three years ago, the first mission of CZ-4B Batch 2 (SJ-6), Chinese media said one new ability of CZ-4B Batch2 is 3rd stage engine restart, actually this ability was only used in two missions: the Yao Gan-1 and Yao Gan-3 launches, but two years ago Chinese media called the Yao Gan-1's launch vehicle"CZ-4B"~_~

From CZ-4B Batch 02, every CZ-4B rocket tested some new technolygies, so I prefer "CZ-4C" is a new designation of "advanced CZ-4B
. You will still see the truss-type interstage between stages 1 and 2 at the end of launch video, just something wrap the truss.".

So, in fact CZ-4C is the new designation of CZ-4B Batch 02... The launch video in this site http://www.56.com/u64/v_MjI3NTgzNDk.html .

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #17 on: 11/13/2007 02:25 pm »
Quote
Satori - 13/11/2007  12:41 PM

So, in fact CZ-4C is the new designation of CZ-4B Batch 02...

I don't think so. The launch Vehicle of the Yaogan-1 was clearly a Version with truss-interstage, while the Yaogan-3 used one with a solid interstage and two strange bulges around stage 1 and stage 2. Both rockets used the new large fairing.

The stage shown at the end of the video might be some stock footage, as it is missing the bulge seen in the launch footage.

The bulges might on the other hand be the top of some peel-away cover, which become detached later in flight.

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #18 on: 11/14/2007 01:51 pm »
Quote
Skyrocket - 13/11/2007  9:25 AM

Quote
Satori - 13/11/2007  12:41 PM

So, in fact CZ-4C is the new designation of CZ-4B Batch 02...

I don't think so. The launch Vehicle of the Yaogan-1 was clearly a Version with truss-interstage, while the Yaogan-3 used one with a solid interstage and two strange bulges around stage 1 and stage 2. Both rockets used the new large fairing.

The stage shown at the end of the video might be some stock footage, as it is missing the bulge seen in the launch footage.

The bulges might on the other hand be the top of some peel-away cover, which become detached later in flight.

But, can't the interstage be covered with the plates we see falling in the video? You can see cleary a multitude of plates falling from an area that is coherent with the interstage. The bulges, as you say, can be some sort of attaching mechanism of the plates.

Offline William Graham

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Re: CH launch yesterday?
« Reply #19 on: 11/14/2007 02:06 pm »
Quote
Satori - 14/11/2007  2:51 PM

But, can't the interstage be covered with the plates we see falling in the video? You can see cleary a multitude of plates falling from an area that is coherent with the interstage. The bulges, as you say, can be some sort of attaching mechanism of the plates.

The area may be consistent, but the timing wouldn't be. The plates are seen falling at a point in the flight later than the point at which the picture from the earlier launch (without solid interstage) was taken.

Here is a CZ-4B on the pad - no bulges.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/images/cz-4_taiyun_cbers1_foto16_high.jpg

Launch of a CZ-4B - truss interstage, before the point at which the 4C photo was taken:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/get-attachment-big.asp?action=view&attachmentid=30087


I'm not sure, but I think the 2nd or 3rd stage on the 4C appears shorter than the CZ-4B.

Does anyone have a photo/video of a CZ-4B night launch, please?

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