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Long March-4B launch with Shijian 16 - Jiuquan - October 25, 2013
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 23 Oct, 2013 10:13
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OK the number of question marks is reaching ridiculous levels, but please carry on reading the rest of the post.....
It appears that the follow on constellation to the SJ-6 series may be going up soon, but what it consists of, what will be its name, what is launching it (them?) and even where it will go out are rather unclear. The only thing we know is:
1. It is being launched on a CZ-4 series rocket
2. It "should be" going out of Jiuquan (but that's just a guess from the tight scheduling of the 2 LEO launch centers)
3. It "should" consist of multiple satellites
4. It "should" get a SJ-X designation, where X isn't 6, 11 or 13; and is probably distinct from YG-18 now in Taiyuan
5.
It "should" be launching rather soon - hints have came out already by mid-September, but the vague hints and another secret yet entirely not related launch from Jiuquan on Sept. 25 has muddled the water even further
6. All active Chinese tracking ships are not at sea
Sooo...... what now?
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#1
by
Phillip Clark
on 23 Oct, 2013 11:03
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Isn't this uncertainty fun? :-) It's like the good ol' days of secrecy.
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#2
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 25 Oct, 2013 06:30
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Well.........without any hints this was launched as SJ-16 today at 03:50 UTC! More news coming soon....
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#3
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 25 Oct, 2013 07:03
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Well..... back in September in a Chinese spaceflight forum I tried to fit this launch (at that time assumed launching with a CZ-4C) with an ELINT satellite in a Molniya orbit. Turns out that I was wrong.....however the orbit is just as strange: NORAD is reporting an object in an 599*616*74.98 deg. orbit (which explains the first time use of a CZ-4B from JSLC - there's no way of launching a satellite into 75 deg. inclination orbits from Taiyuan without dropping stages into places with lots of residents). Anyone knows what satellites have a similar orbit?
BTW the official news reports that the satellite will be used for "space environment measurements & technology testing" - so that essentially confirms that it is the follow-on to the SJ-6 series.
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#4
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 25 Oct, 2013 07:21
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#5
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 10:24
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2 objects have been catalogued by USSTRATCOM:
39358/2013-057A in 599 x 616 km x 74.98° (epoch Oct 25, 0455UTC)
39359/ 2013-057B in 476 x 603 km x 75.03° (epoch Oct 25, 0630UTC)
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#6
by
Satori
on 25 Oct, 2013 10:57
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#7
by
Satori
on 25 Oct, 2013 11:45
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Launch time 0350:03.536UTC ?
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#8
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 11:46
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#9
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 12:13
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Anyone knows what satellites have a similar orbit?
Kondor (Cosmos 2487), a Russian radar IMINT S/C launched last June is now in
494 x 498 km x 74.74°
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#10
by
Chris Bergin
on 25 Oct, 2013 12:51
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#11
by
Star One
on 25 Oct, 2013 13:14
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#12
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 25 Oct, 2013 13:16
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#13
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 13:27
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#14
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 13:37
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Definitely looks a follow up series with two objects being catalogued after launch.
The second object (2013-057B) could be CZ-4B 3rd stage
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#15
by
input~2
on 25 Oct, 2013 16:41
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Debris of the first stage were found near Amuquhu village in Gansu province (N344838 E1024124), some 700 km SE of JSLC.
(
source via 9ifly)
edit: More precisely, the debris location is said to be halfway between Amchogཨ་མཆོག (Amuquhu) and Sangkog (Sangke), ie N345510 E1023438
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#16
by
Lars_J
on 25 Oct, 2013 16:52
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I haven't seen many Chinese launches, but is it normal for the rocket to shed so much debris at launch?
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#17
by
Satori
on 25 Oct, 2013 16:59
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I haven't seen many Chinese launches, but is it normal for the rocket to shed so much debris at launch?
Yes, it is.
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#18
by
Lars_J
on 25 Oct, 2013 17:14
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I haven't seen many Chinese launches, but is it normal for the rocket to shed so much debris at launch?
Yes, it is.
Then what are the pieces? Insulation panels for the fairing?
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#19
by
russianhalo117
on 25 Oct, 2013 17:16
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I haven't seen many Chinese launches, but is it normal for the rocket to shed so much debris at launch?
Yes, it is.
Then what are the pieces? Insulation panels for the fairing?
Protective covers and insulation primarily
