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BeiDou-2, "Compass-G2", April 14 2009 launch
by
Satori
on 17 Mar, 2009 10:47
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#1
by
William Graham
on 19 Mar, 2009 22:10
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It's now gone 23:00 GMT (07:00 on 20/03 in China).
Has there been any news? I haven't heard anything. Chinese launch dates are usually in Chinese time, so I would have expected confirmation by now if the launch was conducted successfully.
I am assuming that it has either been delayed, or was never scheduled for today. (Or it could have failed, but I think we'd probably have heard something if that was the case)
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#2
by
Satori
on 20 Mar, 2009 12:09
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It's now gone 23:00 GMT (07:00 on 20/03 in China).
Has there been any news? I haven't heard anything. Chinese launch dates are usually in Chinese time, so I would have expected confirmation by now if the launch was conducted successfully.
I am assuming that it has either been delayed, or was never scheduled for today. (Or it could have failed, but I think we'd probably have heard something if that was the case)
We know that the satellite is already at Xi Chang so the launch will probably take place within the next days.
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#3
by
blackjack
on 25 Mar, 2009 19:23
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It will take place on 9th April.
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#4
by
Satori
on 29 Mar, 2009 17:43
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It will take place on 9th April.
Is it possible to know the source of this information?
Thanks!
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#5
by
Phillip Clark
on 30 Mar, 2009 11:10
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Is there any indication yet whether the new satellite will be launched to the geosynchronous orbit constellation or to the medium altitude "constellation" which currently comprises just one satellite?
Last month the fourth Beidou-1 satellite - launched in 2007 - was manoeuvred off-station over 144 deg E and is now chugging westwards. Maybe it will be replacing the first Beidou-1 satellite, although that is still on station.
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#6
by
Satori
on 09 Apr, 2009 09:53
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Is there any indication yet whether the new satellite will be launched to the geosynchronous orbit constellation or to the medium altitude "constellation" which currently comprises just one satellite?
Last month the fourth Beidou-1 satellite - launched in 2007 - was manoeuvred off-station over 144 deg E and is now chugging westwards. Maybe it will be replacing the first Beidou-1 satellite, although that is still on station.
Igor Lissov passed me the link
http://www.china-spacenews.com/n435777/n435778/n435783/55374.html where is indication that the launch is of a geostationary Beidou.
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#7
by
Liss
on 10 Apr, 2009 18:23
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#8
by
William Graham
on 12 Apr, 2009 13:35
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Xinhua are reporting that launch is scheduled for 15 April.
Their article mentions a "Long March 3III" rocket. Is that an alternative designation for the 3A or 3C?
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#9
by
ximig
on 12 Apr, 2009 15:17
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China to shoot new navigation satellite into orbit
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-12 21:06:41 Print
BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch the second Beidou satellite, the Chinese version of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS),
into the orbit on the upcoming Wednesday.
This was announced by a spokesman of the Xichang Space Launch Center, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sunday.
Both the rocket, a Long March-3III carrier, and the satellite are in sound conditions and ready for the planned projection, said the official.
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#10
by
Liss
on 12 Apr, 2009 20:40
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Xinhua are reporting that launch is scheduled for 15 April.
Their article mentions a "Long March 3III" rocket. Is that an alternative designation for the 3A or 3C?
Seems to be 3C.
As the four earlier geostationary Chinese navsats were launched between 00:02 and 00:34 Beijing time, I expect the launch to occur on April 14 at approximately 16:30 UTC.
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#11
by
Liss
on 12 Apr, 2009 20:49
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#12
by
Liss
on 12 Apr, 2009 21:21
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According to http://bbs.81tech.com/read.php?tid-136128-page-e.html , we should expect the launch of COMPASS-G2 satellite in mid-April. Can't judge on the veracity of the posting.
Also, I believe the correct name would be Beidou G1, with Beidou M1 launched exactly two years earlier. All the four spacecraft launched earlier (2000 Oct and Dec, 2003 May, 2007 Feb) used CZ-3A so I don't believe the 02 Feb 2007 launch was of the second generation Beidou/Compass.
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#13
by
Satori
on 12 Apr, 2009 21:29
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According to http://bbs.81tech.com/read.php?tid-136128-page-e.html , we should expect the launch of COMPASS-G2 satellite in mid-April. Can't judge on the veracity of the posting.
Also, I believe the correct name would be Beidou G1, with Beidou M1 launched exactly two years earlier. All the four spacecraft launched earlier (2000 Oct and Dec, 2003 May, 2007 Feb) used CZ-3A so I don't believe the 02 Feb 2007 launch was of the second generation Beidou/Compass.
So, we should use the BeiDou designation for the satellite and the Compass designation for the position of the satellite on the navigation satellite system?
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#14
by
summit2
on 14 Apr, 2009 07:26
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#15
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 13:05
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#16
by
ximig
on 14 Apr, 2009 14:43
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Liss's right~~~~
according to
http://astro.zeto.czest.pl/plan.htm14.04.2009 około 16:30 z Xichang wystartuje RN CZ-3C, która wyniesie w T+14' na orbitę przejściową do geostacjonarnej pierwszego chińskiego satelitę nawigacyjnego drugiego pokolenia Beidou G-2 (Beidou 2-1, Compass-G2).
It will be launched less than 2 h~~~
Xinhua are reporting that launch is scheduled for 15 April.
Their article mentions a "Long March 3III" rocket. Is that an alternative designation for the 3A or 3C?
Seems to be 3C.
As the four earlier geostationary Chinese navsats were launched between 00:02 and 00:34 Beijing time, I expect the launch to occur on April 14 at approximately 16:30 UTC.
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#17
by
William Graham
on 14 Apr, 2009 15:33
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Any idea why they're using a 3C and not a 3A? 3A has launched this class of satellite before.
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#18
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 15:49
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Liss's right~~~~
according to http://astro.zeto.czest.pl/plan.htm
14.04.2009 około 16:30 z Xichang wystartuje RN CZ-3C, która wyniesie w T+14' na orbitę przejściową do geostacjonarnej pierwszego chińskiego satelitę nawigacyjnego drugiego pokolenia Beidou G-2 (Beidou 2-1, Compass-G2).
It will be launched less than 2 h~~~
I wonder if this is new information or if it was taken from Liss's post on this Nasaspaceflight forum (Chinese launch schedule topic dated 04/12/2009 08:39 PM) ...
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#19
by
Skyrocket
on 14 Apr, 2009 15:52
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Any idea why they're using a 3C and not a 3A? 3A has launched this class of satellite before.
Likely because the 2nd gen. GEO satellite is heavier
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#20
by
William Graham
on 14 Apr, 2009 16:08
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Any idea why they're using a 3C and not a 3A? 3A has launched this class of satellite before.
Likely because the 2nd gen. GEO satellite is heavier
You're probably right. For some reason I thought there had already been a second generation GEO launch, but I've checked, and it was an MEO satellite.
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#21
by
Skyrocket
on 14 Apr, 2009 16:25
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Any idea why they're using a 3C and not a 3A? 3A has launched this class of satellite before.
Likely because the 2nd gen. GEO satellite is heavier
You're probably right. For some reason I thought there had already been a second generation GEO launch, but I've checked, and it was an MEO satellite.
Possibly, because the 4th GEO sat was sometimes reported to be a 2nd generation satellite. This one was launched by a CZ-3A, which is now a good indicator, that it was indeed a 1st generation GEO sat.
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#22
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 17:20
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Possibly, because the 4th GEO sat was sometimes reported to be a 2nd generation satellite. This one was launched by a CZ-3A, which is now a good indicator, that it was indeed a 1st generation GEO sat.
The Chinese media indicate clearly that this will be the second satellite of the new global Beidou-2 constellation, which will ultimately include 35 satellites (5 GEO and 30 MEO). The first MEO was launched in April 2007.
This one is the first GEO.
The navigation satellites launched before April 2007 belong to the regional Beidou-1 test system.
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#23
by
William Graham
on 14 Apr, 2009 17:22
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I would have expected to have heard something by now if it had launched at 16:30 GMT
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#24
by
astropl
on 14 Apr, 2009 17:31
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Liss's right~~~~
according to http://astro.zeto.czest.pl/plan.htm
14.04.2009 około 16:30 z Xichang wystartuje RN CZ-3C, która wyniesie w T+14' na orbitę przejściową do geostacjonarnej pierwszego chińskiego satelitę nawigacyjnego drugiego pokolenia Beidou G-2 (Beidou 2-1, Compass-G2).
It will be launched less than 2 h~~~
I wonder if this is new information or if it was taken from Liss's post on this Nasaspaceflight forum (Chinese launch schedule topic dated 04/12/2009 08:39 PM) ...
It's info from Liss's post, of course.
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#25
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 18:27
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#26
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 18:29
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#27
by
William Graham
on 14 Apr, 2009 18:41
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Photos appear to show Area 2
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#28
by
Liss
on 14 Apr, 2009 18:45
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#29
by
Liss
on 14 Apr, 2009 20:13
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Found by the U.S. at GTO inclined at 20.54°. Catalog number 34779.
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#30
by
input~2
on 14 Apr, 2009 22:24
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For the GTO achieved (35850km x 209km x 20.5°), the published maximum capability of CZ-3C is around 3150kg. For comparison, the published maximum GTO capability for CZ-3A is 2600kg.
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#31
by
jan_carlo_bascu
on 15 Apr, 2009 16:29
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Launch Video?
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#32
by
input~2
on 15 Apr, 2009 17:34
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#33
by
avitek
on 15 Apr, 2009 17:50
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#34
by
input~2
on 15 Apr, 2009 19:30
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Yes, the designation of the satellites could be "Compass-(first letter of type of orbit)(number in the launch sequence)"
Concerning the satellite platform, on the CAST website, the Beidou chief designer is quoted as saying earlier that the Compass satellite is "a new satellite, using many new technologies". So the platform is maybe not based on DFH-3...
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#35
by
Liss
on 15 Apr, 2009 20:46
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So the platform is maybe not based on DFH-3...
... but DFH-3A?
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#36
by
Satori
on 16 Apr, 2009 11:36
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Did anyone managed to get the exact launch time? The quality of the launch video I have is not very good.
Thanks.
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#37
by
input~2
on 16 Apr, 2009 16:27
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So the platform is maybe not based on DFH-3...
... but DFH-3A?
DFH-3A P/F has been around for some years. With its 40 to 50% more P/L capability as compared to DFH-3, it could indeed require CZ-3C for GSO launch where CZ-3A was OK for DFH-3....however I wonder if it would qualify for "new satellite".
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#38
by
summit2
on 20 Apr, 2009 21:08
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Boosters return to hearth
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#39
by
eeergo
on 20 Apr, 2009 21:39
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Great images as usual, thanks for them! Still somewhat shocking to see the only spacefaring country that publishes these kind of photos is the one that suppossedly has more censorship! I know most of the others have oceanic downrange areas, but still I think some insight/PR could be gained sending ships once in a while to see how some remains reach the ground/sea.
Peering inside a hydrazine tank doesn't seem very advisable to me, however... :/
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#40
by
input~2
on 21 Apr, 2009 15:32
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One more debris picture:(more than 80 000 people had been evacuated from the area)
source
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#41
by
input~2
on 21 Apr, 2009 22:27
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A fairing found two days ago is the fifth fairing found in the same area. Apparently not related to Compass-G2 launch.
(
source)
The actual Compass-G2 launch fairing recovery is described
here
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#42
by
Phillip Clark
on 01 May, 2009 11:48
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Finally, the first set of orbital data for Beidou-2G 1 (or however you wish to designate it!) in its geosynchronous orbit has been issued on the Space Track web site. This shows the satellite sitting over ~84 deg E, which isn't registered as part of the geosynch Beidou/Compass constellation: however, Beidou-1 2 has been located over 80 deg E since its launch at the end of 2000.
And ........ the fourth Beidou-1 which was manoeuvred off-station shortly before the latest launch is still drifting around the GEO band. Its 1,449 minutes orbital period is suggestive of a retirement orbit, indicating that it has operated for a far shorter time than the three earlier satellites (all on station). Then again, there were reportedly problems with the satellite soon after launch.
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#43
by
input~2
on 04 Aug, 2009 19:16
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Finally, the first set of orbital data for Beidou-2G 1 (or however you wish to designate it!) in its geosynchronous orbit has been issued on the Space Track web site. This shows the satellite sitting over ~84 deg E, which isn't registered as part of the geosynch Beidou/Compass constellation: however, Beidou-1 2 has been located over 80 deg E since its launch at the end of 2000.
AFAICS, since then, Compass-G2 has been apparently drifting West due to natural orbit perturbations (it is now passing around 81 deg E).
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#44
by
input~2
on 12 Nov, 2009 09:44
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Pictures of some of the CZ-3C engines debris are visible
here
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#45
by
Satori
on 15 Jan, 2010 14:40
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#46
by
Stan Black
on 18 Jan, 2010 12:48
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#47
by
William Graham
on 18 Jan, 2010 18:58
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#48
by
eeergo
on 26 Jan, 2022 20:32
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