Haiyang 1C (HY-1C) - CZ-2C - Taiyuan - September 7, 2018 (03:15 UTC)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

We have a new NOTAM for a launch out of TSLC tomorrow:

A3838/18 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED WI THE AREA BOUNDED BY: N305426E1095507-N305204E1101347-N301442E1100718-N301704E1094846 BACK TO START. ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 07 SEP 03:28 2018 UNTIL 07 SEP 03:55 2018. CREATED: 06 SEP 03:38 2018

Most are assuming that this is for HY-1C which was publicly announced for launch this month, but the air space closure zone made me question this - could this be for a CZ-4 series launch instead? IIRC the last few CZ-2C launches out of Taiyuan had no NOTAMs (including one or two which caught everyone by surprise) and the zone seems to be where the fairings are dropped for CZ-4 polar launches. 

Luckily if this is really HY-1C, the satellite is close enough to the old HY-1B that its design is well known (more on that later). If it's not though, there isn't any known satellite to fly from there recently.....

[Satori]

I would expect that the launch of HY-1C would be announced in advance.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

I would expect that the launch of HY-1C would be announced in advance.

I don't think so as many of the Chinese governmental civilian Earth observation satellite was launched without announcing (see GF-6 for a recent example).

Someone with insider sources insist that this is HY-1C so maybe it really is.

On HY-1C: The satellite is still based on the old HY-1B (launched 11 years ago!) so this detailed article on the HY-1B should still mostly apply: https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/h/hy-1b

The main improvements for the HY-1C and D are as follows:

1. 2 satellites allows for increase coverage (down from 7 to 3 days for the Coastal Zone Imager)
2. No major changes were made to the Chinese Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (COCTS), but the Coastal Zone Imager (CZI) was improved to 50 m resolution (from 250 m) and also has a wider image swath.
3. 2 new instruments - an ultraviolet imager and a calibration spectrometer (translations TBC) - are added.
4. AIS system for ships tracking is added.
5. Satellite now able to image at up to 20 degrees pitch angles which would minimize problems from sun spots.
6. Satellite lifetime is now 5 years (up from 3-5 years on HY-1B)

[GELORD]

Satellite: HY-1C details

[Galactic Penguin SST]

We should see official launch confirmation in an hour or so.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Claimed launched at 03:34 UTC.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Oh turns out that the T-0 was much earlier than guessed! It was indeed HY-1C launching on the CZ-2C, the launch occurred at 03:15:05 UTC and was successful.

CALT article

[Chris Bergin]

Rui's article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/09/haiyang-1-launched-by-chinas-long-march-2c/

[GELORD]

Long March II C Liftoff

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Some MB sized launch photos (credit: Zheng Taotao)

[zubenelgenubi]

<snip>
The main improvements for the HY-1C and D are as follows:
5. Satellite now able to image at up to 20 degrees pitch angles which would minimize problems from sun spots.

Are "sun spots" specular solar reflections from the ocean's surface?

[Galactic Penguin SST]

<snip>
The main improvements for the HY-1C and D are as follows:
5. Satellite now able to image at up to 20 degrees pitch angles which would minimize problems from sun spots.

Are "sun spots" specular solar reflections from the ocean's surface?

Sorry, I meant solar flares (perhaps because the camera might be hit directly by particles if the instruments are pointed to nadir?).

[zubenelgenubi]

<snip>
The main improvements for the HY-1C and D are as follows:
5. Satellite now able to image at up to 20 degrees pitch angles which would minimize problems from sun spots.

Are "sun spots" specular solar reflections from the ocean's surface?

Sorry, I meant solar flares (perhaps because the camera might be hit directly by particles if the instruments are pointed to nadir?).

Well, I was thinking of the geometry where the s/c optical instruments, pointing to nadir, could be overwhelmed by the specular reflection from the ocean surface directly beneath the satellite, at local noon.  The latitude of that specular reflection would correlate with the progress of the seasons (on the Tropic of Cancer on northern summer solstice, Equator at the following equinox, and so on).

Wouldn't the ocean observations of interest to the Chinese extend into the tropics?  Could the above be a problem for such observations?

Hmm...

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Well CALT has put up a parafoil on at least one fairing halves of this flight and has apparently steered it to a more precise area! This is ot for reuse (yet?) but at least that's one less piece of plastic to dump on people's houses.

[SciNews]

Haiyang-1C (HY-1C) launched by Long March-2C

[Satori]

CZ-2C serial number is Y48.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Well CALT has put up a parafoil on at least one fairing halves of this flight and has apparently steered it to a more precise area! This is ot for reuse (yet?) but at least that's one less piece of plastic to dump on people's houses.

We now have a few photos of the landed fairing half together with a secondary parachute (not the parafoil though).

[GELORD]

Who knows the exact time and number of the launch mission?

[russianhalo117]

Who knows the exact time and number of the launch mission?

05-61 is the expected code. The exact launch time down to the millisecond is not available at present.

[limen4]

Images and GIF from space!

http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2018/09/08/7609859.html

It don't show HY-1C launch from TSLC but OS-X1 suborbital launch from JSLC (see https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11281.1780)