NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
International Space Flight (ESA, Russia, China and others) => Chinese Launchers => Topic started by: Galactic Penguin SST on 10/06/2020 02:21 pm
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There's apparently another group of the YG-31 triplet in Jiuquan right now as per press releases made during the PRC establishment anniversary on October 1st: https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1313480944498679813 (https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1313480944498679813)
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Recent launch intervals:
China launches in 2020 from Jiuquan LC43/94 and 43/91 (times in UTC)
May 31 (08:53) - CZ-2D (Y51) - JSLC (01-115), LC43/94 - Gaofen-9 (02); HEAD-4 (HEDE-4)
June 17 (07:19:04.327) - CZ-2D (Y52) - JSLC (01-116), LC43/94 - Gaofen-9 (03), Zheda Pixing-3A, HEAD-5 (HEDE-5) 17 days
July 4 (23:44:04.111) - CZ-2D (Y29) - JSLC, LC43/94 - Shiyan Weixing-6 (02) 'Chuangxin-3A (02)' 18 days
August 6 (04:01:54.278) - CZ-2D (Y56) - JSLC, LC43/94 - GF-9 (04); Tsinghua Kexue Weixīng (Q-Sat) 33 days
August 23 (02:27:04.117) - CZ-2D (Y57) - JSLC, LC43/94 - Gaofen-9 (05); Tiantuo-5, Duo Gongneng Shiyan Weixing 17 days
September 4 (~07:30) - CZ-2F/T3 - JSLC, LC43/91 - Chongfu Shiyong Shiyan Hangtian Qi, SubSat 12 days
September 21 (05:40:04.276) - CZ-4B (Y41) - JSLC (01-120), LC43/94 - Haiyang-2C 17 days
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Some rumors regarding all LM-4 series launches:
There are reports that all Long March 4 series launches (https://9ifly.spacety.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=93144&pid=771018) will be grounded till "end of this year" due to unspecified problems with the rockets.
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Follow-up cross-posts:
There are reports that all Long March 4 series launches (https://9ifly.spacety.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=93144&pid=771018) will be grounded till "end of this year" due to unspecified problems with the rockets.
The same person is currently reporting that he/she does not expect any LM-4 launches in November, “maybe one” in December. (https://9ifly.spacety.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92830&pid=773296)
And:
To be launched:
-0X Dec 2020 Long March 4B Yaogan-31-02
What is/are newfrontiers' sources?
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Cross-post; my bold:
To be launched:
-20 Dec 2020 Long March 8
-2X Dec 2020 Long March 4C
All others will be delayed to next year, so 39 in total.
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According to 9ifly Chinese space forum, this launch was pushed to 2021.
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Possibly to launch January 2021.
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February 4 (?)
http://www.spaceflightfans.cn/event/long-march-4c-rocket-launch-yaogan-31-satellite?instance_id=4184
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The launch can take place in the next days as Yuan Wang 7 just arrived at the Timor Sea, south of Bali, indicatingthe possibility of launch.
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The launch can take place in the next days as Yuan Wang 7 just arrived at the Timor Sea, south of Bali, indicating the possibility of launch.
Follow-on to:
For YG-31-02 we should have a more solid date once the Yuan Wang 7 tracking ship moves to its position (Timor Sea?). It's currently moving to the east of Philippines.
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The launch can take place in the next days as Yuan Wang 7 just arrived at the Timor Sea, south of Bali, indicating the possibility of launch.
Follow-on to:
For YG-31-02 we should have a more solid date once the Yuan Wang 7 tracking ship moves to its position (Timor Sea?). It's currently moving to the east of Philippines.
In fact YW-7 has already arrived at the usual spot in the Timor Sea for JSLC 63 degrees inclination launches since yesterday.
This launch can happen any time now, perhaps even today. Yet there's nothing else that can prove its existence...
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Seems to be our NOTAM:
A0165/21 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N360403E1044718-N355510E1043036-N361529E1041407-N362722E1043627 BACK TO START. ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA. VERTICAL LIMITS: GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 29 JAN 04:38 2021 UNTIL 29 JAN 05:05 2021. CREATED: 27 JAN 07:27 2021
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Looks very much like the NOTAM zone of 10 Dec 2014.
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and also similar area defined by waypoints in NOTAM for April 10, 2018 (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45445.msg1808765#msg1808765) (YG-31 Group 01)
New NOTAMed area below
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Liftoff confirmed, at ~04:48 UTC.
https://twitter.com/iBd6S77Ivw72xPk/status/1355016682637557760?s=19
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Launch success has been confirmed with T-0 at 04:47 UTC.
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I'm confused by the color of the plumes in the photos above.
The photos near the pad show N2O4 / UDMH coloring but not the photo showing no apparent plume, nor the one showing a white plume. How does that work? Is the coloring of the plume near the pad from some source other than the propellant (e.g. dust)?
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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-01/29/c_139706736.htm
China launches new remote sensing satellites
2021-01-29 13:45:09
JIUQUAN, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The second group of China's Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites were sent into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Friday at 12:47 p.m. (Beijing Time).
The satellites were carried by a Long March-4C rocket. It was the 359th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series, the launch center said.
Having entered their planned orbits, the satellites will be used for electromagnetic environment surveys and other related technology tests.
China launched the first group of the Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites in 2018.
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Shanghai Aerospace quotes a different task for the satellites -- sort of strange.
主要用于科学试验研究、海洋和陆地资源普查等任务
They are mainly used for scientific experiment research, marine and terrestrial surveys and other tasks
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Six objects has been found in expected orbits but in new orbital plane 48 E of YG-31 01.
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I'm confused by the color of the plumes in the photos above.
The photos near the pad show N2O4 / UDMH coloring but not the photo showing no apparent plume, nor the one showing a white plume. How does that work? Is the coloring of the plume near the pad from some source other than the propellant (e.g. dust)?
Initial ignition exhaust is oxidizer-rich (nitrogen tetroxide = red smoke). There's also the contribution of dust being kicked up by turbulence around the pad, once the exhaust footprint is no longer just funneled through the trench, when the rocket has ascended a few tens of meters but is still close to the ground: it's more of a light brown color, as is the clay-rich terrain in the Gobi region Jiuquan sits on.
Stable ignition in flight regime is more stoichiometrically-balanced, therefore the plume is mostly invisible unless lightning favors seeing its grey-orangish tint (in other hypergolic launches, it's quite visible if there is some amount of back-illumination).
The white "plume" is actually a contrail at around 10-20 km altitude, where condensation of the water vapor in the exhaust occurs through a similar process as with airplane contrails.
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Rui's article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/long-march-4c-lofts-three-yaogan-weixing-31-satellites/
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Short launch video from Channel 13:
https://tv.cctv.com/2021/01/29/VIDEQbDs75Dq9a44c3liJ5Fd210129.shtml
Launch code could be: 01-122
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Rui's article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/long-march-4c-lofts-three-yaogan-weixing-31-satellites/
Well, it's officially Yaogan 31, not Yaogan Weixing 31.
And they are 48 degrees east of the previous triplet, not 43 degrees.
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Rui's article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/long-march-4c-lofts-three-yaogan-weixing-31-satellites/
Well, it's officially Yaogan 31, not Yaogan Weixing 31.
And they are 48 degrees east of the previous triplet, not 43 degrees.
Strictly the Chinese language reports eg. https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2021-01-29/doc-ikftssap1689928.shtml and
https://www.cast.cn/3g/news/6947
call it 遥感三十一号02组卫星, Yaogan 31 hao 02 zu weixing.
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There are no photos with the exact launch time ?
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11 minutes before the launch. The estimated time 12:47.55
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2021-007A/47532 in 1091 x 1097 km x 63.4°
2021-007B/47533 in 1090 x 1098 km x 63.4°
2021-007C/47534 in 1091 x 1096 km x 63.4°
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Objects A, B and E are maneuvering. Obviously the 18SPCS should exchange designations for C and E.
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Object A is far behind Object B and Object E. Both Object B and Object E have also separated from each other. This amount of separation is not seen in any of the other Yaogan trio launches.
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Object A is far behind Object B and Object E. Both Object B and Object E have also separated from each other. This amount of separation is not seen in any of the other Yaogan trio launches.
Let's see again by February 24 or so.
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Object A is far behind Object B and Object E. Both Object B and Object E have also separated from each other. This amount of separation is not seen in any of the other Yaogan trio launches.
Let's see again by February 24 or so.
As expected, objects A, B, and E met again at the 1090 km operational orbit, with A being the outlier.