A possible KZ failure in 2012? I seem to have missed that. Is there a link on here somewhere please?
Thank you Anik! Revived the thread started in 2012 because it's not clear whether there actually was a launch or not.
I think that this launch marks the first time that the Chinese have had two launches from the same launch site (albeit, not the same pad) within 24 hours.
It does imply a 24hs turnaround for the range, that's quite impressive, to say the least.
I find the fact that they are being more open about the KZ-2 launch than the Yaogans on the LM rockets fascinating. Could this be some sort of an attempt by China at being more "transparent" regarding the KZ launch vehicle, which they know has generated a lot of concern in the US?
...or maybe it was more of a prototype project a la similar ideas funded by DARPA.
Google translation of
http://www.casic.com.cn/n103/n133/c2022698/content.html gives the following bit.
""fast boat" rocket is an important achievement "863 Program", a total of 132 patents, including 34
invention patents, with "more,
faster, better and cheaper"". (My underlining).
There is also mention of use of "grid rudder technology". Looks like China's "Start 1" to me.
So, is it DF-21 or DF-31 based? I'm leaning toward DF-21, based on the diameter which appears to be less than 5 feet (DF-31 is 6.56 feet diameter, DF-21 is 4.59 feet).
- Ed Kyle
DF-31 would be very unlikely; it's a product of CASIC's competitor CASC.
It seems that this KZ launch inaugurated the western launch position. The eastern one was used in the 2012 attempt and the 2013 launch.
Here are two images from the 9ifly.cn forum and the Google Earth image attached. Photos were shot from the railway bridge in the left. One can easily see that the launch position is projected to the left position, not the right one.
It seems that this KZ launch inaugurated the western launch position. The eastern one was used in the 2012 attempt and the 2013 launch.
Here are two images from the 9ifly.cn forum and the Google Earth image attached. Photos were shot from the railway bridge in the left. One can easily see that the launch position is projected to the left position, not the right one.
Do you know the designation of the launch positions?
Google translation of http://www.casic.com.cn/n103/n133/c2022698/content.html gives the following bit.
""fast boat" rocket is an important achievement "863 Program", a total of 132 patents, including 34
invention patents, with "more, faster, better and cheaper"". (My underlining).
There is also mention of use of "grid rudder technology". Looks like China's "Start 1" to me.
So, is it DF-21 or DF-31 based? I'm leaning toward DF-21, based on the diameter which appears to be less than 5 feet (DF-31 is 6.56 feet diameter, DF-21 is 4.59 feet).
- Ed Kyle
Ed, in my analysis of the May 2013 ASAT test I reference a (now deleted) blog posting from kktt where he does a pretty convincing job of tracing the Kuaizhou launch vehicle back to the DF-21:
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2473/1
I found this illustration, which allegedly shows Kuaizhou-2.
The service module looks the same as the one shown on a Kuaizhou-1 illustration (
see Kuazhou-1 thread), but the imaging payload looks different.
