Author Topic: CZ-11H - Jilin-1 Gaofen-03A & 6 others - Yellow Sea - June 5, 2019 (04:06 UTC) (Read 52966 times)

Galactic Penguin SST · « **on:** 07/06/2017 02:36 pm »

In a Users' Conference of Long March rockets for Domestic Commercial Launches hosted by CGWIC today, amidst news of introducing the CZ-8 and 3 stage CZ-7 Heavy and piggyback launch services, there's some surprising news that the Chinese are mulling over providing small satellite services from the sea from 2018!

The rocket involved is almost certainly the Long March 11, as it's a CALT project and that it will use a solid powered rocket. The CALT official reported that this is aimed at the very low orbit inclination LEO satellite market, with capabilities of up to 500 kg up to a 500 km high LEO, inclination 0 to 10 degrees (think RazakSat). He reported that using a solid propellant rocket "....would only require the use of a 10000 tonne class container ship as the launch base". Proof-of-concept tests would start later this year.

Wait a minute, there's an equatorial LEO satellite market?

Source: http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2017/07-06/8271070.shtml

SmallKing · « **Reply #1 on:** 07/08/2017 08:58 am »

More information from 9ifly

Asteroza · « **Reply #2 on:** 07/12/2017 12:52 am »

Well, no chinese buyers for SeaLaunch Odyssey and Commander vessels then...

That said, equatorial LEO as a market sounds like a niche for tech demonstrators, if you run with the theory that raw $/kg is connected to on-orbit payload, which is boosted by equatorial launch. So lots of smallsats/cubesats testing everything under the sun at first glance sounds interesting, but runs into the problem of customer ground stations to monitor experiments (but Spaceflight Industries is doing that timeshare ground station network so that isn't horrible). Assuming the tech demo niche isn't better represented by SSO launch for constant solar power...

But why is the inclination so limited considering it's an ocean launch? Downrange tracking asset issue? Suitable mooring locations (since the shown barge has big mooring winches, so is currently not a DP2 or DP3 semisubmersible ship like SeaLaunch Odyssey) perhaps?

Operational experience for moving other Long March hardware to ocean launch is the probable aim here. Are they planning a one-two setup of a launch ship and a landing barge similar to SpaceX? There used to be ships that could lift whole barges onto the deck over the stern with a crane or submersible elevator, so self deploying a landing barge over the the pad/reaction frame/flame bucket isn't horrific either.

Lars-J · « **Reply #3 on:** 07/12/2017 06:01 am »

You would think it would make much more sense to set up a tiny launch pad at Wenchang for the CZ-11?

The difference in performance from launching at a site so far south as Wenchang when compared to the equator is pretty small.

So why do it from a ship? Just to prove you can? I mean I guess it is a useful military capability to have a moving launch site, but what real military payloads can it lift with such a small capacity?

zhangmdev · « **Reply #4 on:** 07/12/2017 07:09 am »

Do you think China has no Pork project? They spent trillions to build hundreds of coal fire power plants just sitting there idle. Why couldn't they have some ship to launch rockets at sea? There are tons of money sloshing around. Capital investment is the ends not the means. So it doesn't have to make any sense.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #5 on:** 11/01/2017 01:33 pm »

Update: CALT has confirmed that the rocket they are considering for launching from ships is the CZ-11. Works on securing ships for such usage and LV tracking arrangements are currently underway. They claim that they have customers approaching for this service for launching to low inclination LEO and such a launch may happen as early as late 2018.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/19/2018 12:38 am »

This project continues to roll on with the launch platform specified as a "modified 10000 tonne class container ship": http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-5klEvC56ZuZdkAAojgPkQ

Skyrocket · « **Reply #7 on:** 05/15/2018 07:26 am »

It appears, that the CZ-11 sea launch from a container ship is planned for September 2018.

The CAS-6 amateur radio satellite is among the payloads.

http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=622

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #8 on:** 05/15/2018 08:28 am »

The dedicated launch thread is here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45683.0

We still have no idea which ship the Chinese are going to use....

Satori · « **Reply #9 on:** 09/03/2018 02:47 pm »

Does anyone has any information about the launch preparations for this mission?

Satori · « **Reply #10 on:** 09/03/2018 02:59 pm »

Well, according to Spaceflightfans.cn, the launch is now schedule for December.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #11 on:** 12/22/2018 01:08 am »

As of today this launch is scheduled for June 2019.

Olaf · « **Reply #12 on:** 01/21/2019 07:30 am »

https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1087065424100032512

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/05/2019 06:01 pm »

According to this article the launch will be performed in the Yellow Sea (so no low inclination LEO launch for this one - not sure they want to try launching it from the South China Sea these days

).

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #14 on:** 04/17/2019 03:30 pm »

Latest rumors indicate that this launch will carry a Jilin-1 constellation EO satellite.

PM3 · « **Reply #15 on:** 04/24/2019 02:21 pm »

June 5 with two Jilin-1 sats

https://twitter.com/LaunchStuff/status/1121049212865654785

http://news.china.com.cn/2019-04/24/content_74717323.htm

otter · « **Reply #16 on:** 05/01/2019 12:07 pm »

China plans to launch carrier rocket at sea
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/01/c_138027357.htm

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #17 on:** 05/28/2019 04:36 am »

This "launch day mail covers" shows that the launch will be from an area southeast of Qingdao (Tsingtao), Shandong.

The ship to be used has not yet been identified.

tehwkd · « **Reply #18 on:** 05/28/2019 08:50 am »

Article posted may 20 on Sina Military mentioned a modified "10000 DWT (Deadweight Tonnage) freighter" which based on what I've been able to find could either mean self propelled barge, a container ship or a bulk carrier.

http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/jssd/2019-05-20/doc-ihvhiqax9943527.shtml

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #19 on:** 05/31/2019 12:50 pm »

Probable drop zones for this launch might have popped up in the South Pacific for June 4th 16:00-18:00 UTC, which seems close to the 45 degrees inclination target orbit for CAS-6, although I'm not quite sure of that really (next Electron? Some spacecraft de-orbiting instead?):

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1134438331360587776