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ZiYuan-1 (2C) CZ-4B, Taiyuan launch - December 22nd, 2011
by
Satori
on 02 Dec, 2011 13:58
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The ZiYuan-1 (2C) Earth observation satellite will probably be launched on December 15 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
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#1
by
input~2
on 05 Dec, 2011 19:31
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#2
by
input~2
on 06 Dec, 2011 07:57
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An article (in Chinese) giving some information on ZY-1-2C payload
http://news.3snews.net/industry/20111122/17225.shtml
A tentative translation into English for the data in this article (which also gives data on ZY-3):
ZY-1-2C:
- 2 HR cameras: spatial resolution: 2.36m Joint swath: 54 km
- Panchromatic multispectral camera: resolution 5m and 10 m, swath 60 km
ZY-3:
4 cameras: "front, "back","facing" and "multispectral facing"
- "front" & "back" cameras: resolution 3.5m, swath: 52.3 km
- "facing" camera: resolution 2.1m, swath 51 km
- "multispectral facing" camera: resolution 6 m, swath 51 km
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#3
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 13 Dec, 2011 07:56
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#4
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 20 Dec, 2011 11:46
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#5
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 21 Dec, 2011 23:42
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BREAKING NEWS:
The launch could happen within the next few hours! 
If the spacecraft is aiming for the same lighting conditions in the Sun-synchronous orbit as the preceding CBERS missions, then the launch time could be around 03:15 UTC, give or take 15 minutes.
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#6
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 00:53
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Looks like it's rather cold there...
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#7
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 01:53
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#8
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:06
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Well if spectators are arriving, that'll be for a launch!
Great work keeping an eye on this, Galactic Penguin SST! Rui will be alseep, so I'll see if I can write an article
Is this:
"ZY-1-2C:
2 HR cameras: spatial resolution: 2.36m Joint swath: 54 km
Panchromatic multispectral camera: resolution 5m and 10 m, swath 60 km"
All we have on the satellite?
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#9
by
spacex
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:08
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Nice surprise! If this launch takes places, it will mean that China has for the first time surpassed the US in yearly launches!
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#10
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:16
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Well if spectators are arriving, that'll be for a launch!
Great work keeping an eye on this, Galactic Penguin SST! Rui will be alseep, so I'll see if I can write an article
Is this:
"ZY-1-2C:
2 HR cameras: spatial resolution: 2.36m Joint swath: 54 km
Panchromatic multispectral camera: resolution 5m and 10 m, swath 60 km"
All we have on the satellite?
I believe it has few changes from the original Sino-Brazillian
CBERS satellite, other than a better data compression ratio...
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#11
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:18
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#12
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:22
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Cool. Actually have enough info for an article (thanks to Rui's work on the launch center and the vehicle, so we're good!)
Will be nice if someone posts a launch image (I'll accredit) otherwise I'll use stock.
Nice surprise! If this launch takes places, it will mean that China has for the first time surpassed the US in yearly launches!
That's interesting! This is China's record +2, but what was the year for the US record? I might use that angle
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#13
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:25
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Cool. Actually have enough info for an article (thanks to Rui's work on the launch center and the vehicle, so we're good!)
Will be nice if someone posts a launch image (I'll accredit) otherwise I'll use stock.
Nice surprise! If this launch takes places, it will mean that China has for the first time surpassed the US in yearly launches!
That's interesting! This is China's record +2, but what was the year for the US record? I might use that angle
There are 18 orbital launches from the US in 2011 (3x STS, 3x Delta II, 3x Delta IV, 5x Atlas V, 2x Minotaur I, 1x Taurus, 1x Minotaur IV). This will be the 19th Chinese orbital launch attempt in 2011 (out of 21 predicted in early 2010!). Last year China and the US tied for 15 orbital launches each.
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#14
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:27
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Excellent!
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#15
by
spacex
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:32
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Indeed, both countries have had 1 launch failure each this year. China continues to ramp up its launches by a significant number year after year. This trend looks to continue in the near future. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me, can tell me what year the US had their highest number of orbital launches?
Cool. Actually have enough info for an article (thanks to Rui's work on the launch center and the vehicle, so we're good!)
Will be nice if someone posts a launch image (I'll accredit) otherwise I'll use stock.
Nice surprise! If this launch takes places, it will mean that China has for the first time surpassed the US in yearly launches!
That's interesting! This is China's record +2, but what was the year for the US record? I might use that angle
There are 18 orbital launches from the US in 2011 (3x STS, 3x Delta II, 3x Delta IV, 5x Atlas V, 2x Minotaur I, 1x Taurus, 1x Minotaur IV). This will be the 19th Chinese orbital launch attempt in 2011 (out of 21 predicted in early 2010!). Last year China and the US tied for 15 orbital launches each.
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#16
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:35
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While waiting for news about the launch, here's the Wikipedia article on the original
China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite program, which used the same satellite platform and payloads as the one launching today (the program has moved to new satellites with launch scheduled for late next year).
spacex: I believe the US has launched more than 50 times per year for some time during the 1960s....
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#17
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:35
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I hope this one hasn't gone wrong. Long gap of no news after T-5 mins.
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#18
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:42
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#19
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:44
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#20
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:45
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That does look like a launch to me
Great photo too. Standing by for confirmation, launch time.
And there's the confirmation. Launch time outstanding.
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#21
by
spacex
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:46
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#22
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:53
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#23
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:56
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I'm going with "around 03:30 GMT" - and will refine when confirmation of a T-0 is noted.
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#24
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 02:59
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#25
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 03:08
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#26
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 Dec, 2011 03:11
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Thanks again!
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#27
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 03:42
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Some photos of the launch...
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#28
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 06:57
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#29
by
Lewis007
on 22 Dec, 2011 07:37
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#30
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 08:53
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USSTRATCOM has catalogued 2 Objects:
- Object A /38038/2011-079A (presumably ZY-1-2C) in 761.6 x 769.9 km x 98.55°
- Object B/38039/2011-079B (presumably CZ-4B 3rd stage) in 474.4 x 768.7 km x 98.44°
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#31
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 09:08
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#32
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 09:26
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Local time of the descending node = 10:30:11 am
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#33
by
Satori
on 22 Dec, 2011 09:36
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What a good surprise for wake up!!! Thanks Galactic and input for all the help!
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#34
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 Dec, 2011 09:53
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NORAD is tracking
Santa this satellite in a 762 X 770 km X 98.56 deg. orbit.
And it's Hi-res time!
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#35
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 09:54
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#36
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 10:02
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762 X 770 km X 98.56 deg. orbit.
This is a quote from Dodge on 9ifly for epoch 0645:33UTC, the orbit I calculated above was for epoch 0613:29UTC
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#37
by
Satori
on 22 Dec, 2011 13:29
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#38
by
Phillip Clark
on 22 Dec, 2011 17:22
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#39
by
input~2
on 22 Dec, 2011 20:24
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From China Radio International in French
http://french.cri.cn/781/2011/12/22/304s265191.htmLa Chine vient de lancer avec succès le satellite Ziyuan n°1 02C au Centre de lancement de satellites de Taiyuan (province du Shanxi). Il s'agissait du dernier lancement de l'année, tous les 19 lancements ayant été réussis.
"all 19 launches having been successful"
What about CZ-2C on August 18??
(This statement is not reproduced in CRI pages in other languages like English, German, Spanish or Portuguese)
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#40
by
jcm
on 22 Dec, 2011 22:41
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And it's an official launch success! Launch occurred at 03:26 UTC.
BTW Chris, the payload's a civilian Earth observation satellite (it's main user is the Ministry of Land and Resources), unlike the last few ones from Taiyuan. The payload's mass was given as 2100 kg, and the satellite is designed for a 3 year service life.
The CBERS satellites were around 1,450 kg, so this must be a significant upgrade if it's 2,100 kg or so.
CBERS-2B (ZY-1 02B?) introduced the 2.5m pan camera. This one doubles that up and replaces the wide field imager with more fairly high res (5 and 10m resolution) cameras. So that's consistent with a fair upgrade.
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#41
by
pargoo
on 23 Dec, 2011 04:54
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Hi-res launch pics for a high-resolution remote-sensing satellite(!)
I'm *really* enjoying close-up looks at launchers I've only ever seen teeny weeny postage-stamps of in the past. The Chinese space program is starting to come to life for me
What has prompted this sudden, unexpected - and very welcome - change of heart? Dare I be cynical and relate it to the shuttle being killed off? Let's hope someday we'll see early launches in the same way.
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#42
by
Jason1701
on 23 Dec, 2011 12:35
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To re-post a question from earlier that interested me: what is the US record for launches in a year?
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#43
by
baldusi
on 23 Dec, 2011 14:07
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As my usual nitpicking of the article:
The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,960,000 kN at launch
Are you sure those are kN? Seems a bit high
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#44
by
Satori
on 23 Dec, 2011 14:46
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As my usual nitpicking of the article:
The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,960,000 kN at launch
Are you sure those are kN? Seems a bit high
That's a really powerful rocket!!!
Its 2,971 kN.
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#45
by
Satori
on 23 Dec, 2011 14:49
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To re-post a question from earlier that interested me: what is the US record for launches in a year?
I have 73 (Cape Canaveral - 29; Vandenberg - 43; Wallops Island - 1) in 1966.
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#46
by
input~2
on 23 Dec, 2011 19:43
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ZY-1-2C first image
(
source)
to be compared with Google Earth image below
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#47
by
Moe Grills
on 23 Dec, 2011 21:35
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And of course, China has overtaken the United States of America
in satellite launches.
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#48
by
input~2
on 29 Dec, 2011 09:07
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#49
by
Satori
on 29 Dec, 2011 13:29
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Ok, this one is strange. Why the Brazilian flag if there was «no Brazilian participation» on the mission?
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#50
by
Phillip Clark
on 29 Dec, 2011 16:32
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Ok, this one is strange. Why the Brazilian flag if there was «no Brazilian participation» on the mission?
Is it for CBERS 3? That would be the 6th ZY-1 .........
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#51
by
incantado2012
on 29 Dec, 2011 17:03
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It is a satellite developed by China and Brazil.
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#52
by
liporace
on 29 Dec, 2011 23:45
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Ok, this one is strange. Why the Brazilian flag if there was «no Brazilian participation» on the mission?
I had the opportunity to hear about this "CBERS-2C" in a talk some months ago. Knowing that there was no Brazilian participation on this particular satellite I asked the presenter (from CEODE) why the "CBERS" name was used. He smiled and said that that is the way they translate 'ZiYuan' for international presentations, and there was a lot of 'paperwork' to be done if a new name was used.
That maybe explains the Brazilian flag... did they use the same 'marketing' material just replacing 2B by 2C?
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#53
by
liporace
on 29 Dec, 2011 23:47
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Ok, this one is strange. Why the Brazilian flag if there was «no Brazilian participation» on the mission?
Is it for CBERS 3? That would be the 6th ZY-1 .........
This is not CBERS 3. I suspect that it uses the same panchromatic camera though, from what I read from the specs.
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#54
by
input~2
on 01 Jan, 2012 15:59
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Another first image taken on Dec 23.
To be compared with Google Earth (from DigitalGlobe on Sept 6, 2007) below.
(
source)
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#55
by
limen4
on 02 Jan, 2012 10:55
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#56
by
input~2
on 02 Jan, 2012 16:54
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Images from China TV (http://vod.mlr.gov.cn/spxw/201112/t20111229_1051742.htm) indicate a slightly different design of ZY-1(2C) - 2 solar arrays.
Not sure if this is meant to be a true representation of ZY-1-2C.
There are many references pointing to a one-wing only solar array for this S/C.
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#57
by
Satori
on 01 Mar, 2012 13:11
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#58
by
limen4
on 19 Apr, 2012 19:26
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Images from China TV (http://vod.mlr.gov.cn/spxw/201112/t20111229_1051742.htm) indicate a slightly different design of ZY-1(2C) - 2 solar arrays.
Not sure if this is meant to be a true representation of ZY-1-2C.
There are many references pointing to a one-wing only solar array for this S/C.
During the recent In-Orbit-Delivery-Ceremony for ZY-1(2C)
(
Source ) a two-winged spacecraft was shown at the right wall side.
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#59
by
limen4
on 02 Dec, 2012 11:29
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Great photo too. Standing by for confirmation, launch time.