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Yaogan Weixing-25A/B/C, CZ-4C, JSLC - December 10, 2014 (1933UTC)
by
beidou
on 19 Nov, 2014 11:07
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Last launch from JSLC in 2014.
Source on 9ifly forum.
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#1
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 09 Dec, 2014 11:50
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Probably good time to bump the thread because it looks like this launch is likely to happen within the next few days (maybe even within the next day) - especially given that the tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 is being tracked in Timor Sea today (after moving from its spot south of Bali for tracking the CBERS-4 launch 2 days ago). Another YG-9 triplet?
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#2
by
Satori
on 09 Dec, 2014 12:44
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No NOTAMs?
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#3
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 09 Dec, 2014 12:55
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No NOTAMs?
I don't recall NOTAMs for any of the 4 CZ-4 launches out of JSLC, so....
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#4
by
Satori
on 09 Dec, 2014 13:02
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No NOTAMs?
I don't recall NOTAMs for any of the 4 CZ-4 launches out of JSLC, so....
Ok, let's keep an eye on that in the next days (hours).
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#5
by
Chris Bergin
on 10 Dec, 2014 00:56
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Yes, and if someone does notice a NOTAM or info on a projected T-0, please PM me, so I can make sure I get Rui's article on in a timely fashion! Thanks!
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#6
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 10 Dec, 2014 04:27
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Oooh NOTAMs!
A2530/14 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N332255E1065140-N331131E1062946-N335725E1055530-N340853E1061731 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:SFC-UNL. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 19:25 2014 UNTIL 10 DEC 20:10 2014. CREATED: 10 DEC 02:14 2014
A2529/14 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N355046E1045700-N354156E1044019-N360647E1042017-N361840E1044236 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:SFC-UNL. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 19:25 2014 UNTIL 10 DEC 20:02 2014. CREATED: 10 DEC 02:13 2014
A2528/14 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED CENTERED AT N4058E10017 WITH RADIUS OF 15KM. VERTICAL LIMITS:SFC-UNL. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 19:23 2014 UNTIL 10 DEC 19:58 2014. CREATED: 10 DEC 02:02 2014Showing what seems to be a CZ-4C launch heading towards a 63.4 degree orbit at around 19:30 UTC today.
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#7
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 06:25
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#8
by
Satori
on 10 Dec, 2014 07:58
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Oooh NOTAMs!
Showing what seems to be a CZ-4C launch heading towards a 63.4 degree orbit at around 19:30 UTC today.
So this looks like another YG triplet.
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#9
by
satwatcher
on 10 Dec, 2014 12:43
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At 19:30UTC today the orbital plane of the Yaogan 16 triplet is directly over JSLC and the NOTAM areas.
This is in line with the Yaogan 20 triplet being launched into exactly the same orbital plane as Yaogan 9. These two triplets are now exactly half an orbit apart, so it will be likely that Yaogan 25 will do the same with respect to Yaogan 16.
It is also interesting that the RA of the ascending nodes of the three orbital planes that are in use are not spread over a full circle. The Yaogan 9/20 orbital plane is 71 deg West of Yaogan 17, while Yaogan 16 is 75 deg East of Yaogan 9/20.
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#10
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 13:18
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At 19:30UTC today the orbital plane of the Yaogan 16 triplet is directly over JSLC and the NOTAM areas.
This is in line with the Yaogan 20 triplet being launched into exactly the same orbital plane as Yaogan 9. These two triplets are now exactly half an orbit apart, so it will be likely that Yaogan 25 will do the same with respect to Yaogan 16.
It is also interesting that the RA of the ascending nodes of the three orbital planes that are in use are not spread over a full circle. The Yaogan 9/20 orbital plane is 71 deg West of Yaogan 17, while Yaogan 16 is 75 deg East of Yaogan 9/20.
Interesting. So we'll be on the look out for the first TLEs for an inclination of 63.4° and a RAAN of about 318°
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#11
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 16:36
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For the record here is another related NOTAM
A2536/14 - THE FLW SEGMENTS OF ATS RTE CLSD: 1.G470: JINGNING VOR 'JIG'-JINGTAI VOR 'JTA'. 2.B330: ELPAN-XIXAN. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 19:20 2014 UNTIL 10 DEC 20:10 2014. CREATED: 10 DEC 15:27 2014
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#12
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 10 Dec, 2014 18:54
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This should have launched some time ago (in fact S/C sep. may already be happening as I speak). Standing by...
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#13
by
beidou
on 10 Dec, 2014 19:28
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#14
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 19:29
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#15
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 19:38
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#16
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 19:59
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#17
by
Chris Bergin
on 10 Dec, 2014 20:04
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#18
by
input~2
on 10 Dec, 2014 20:07
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#19
by
satwatcher
on 10 Dec, 2014 20:39
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First orbital elements on Space-Track. Only one object catalogued [40341/14080D], probably the upper stage. The payloads will probably get 40338, 40339 and 40340 as objects A, B and C.
Orbit is 908x1102 km at 63.46 deg, RAAN at 320.48 deg.
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#20
by
spectre000
on 10 Dec, 2014 21:43
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Rui's article!
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/long-march-4c-yaogan-weixing-25/
Just a constructive criticism, but can authors please stop with the obligatory "...The first orbital launch took place on April 24, 1970 when the CZ-1 Chang Zheng-1 ..." at the end of every chinese launch article? Same for any article referencing Chinese manned launches. You don't do it for Russian or American launches. Seriously. It's just unnecessary.
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#21
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 11 Dec, 2014 00:31
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Orbits for all 6 objects (1st 3 are satellites, D is the 3rd stage and E/F are multiple payload support structures):
40338/2014-080A: 1089 x 1097 km x 63.41 deg.
40339/2014-080B: 1091 x 1098 km x 63.41 deg.
40340/2014-080C: 1091 x 1099 km x 63.41 deg.
40341/2014-080D: 906 x 1101 km x 63.47 deg.
40342/2014-080E: 1093 x 1098 km x 63.41 deg.
40343/2014-080F: 1091 x 1097 km x 63.41 deg.
The exact launch time is 19:33:03.880 UTC.
Here are 2 of the launch photos in higher resolution:
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#22
by
input~2
on 11 Dec, 2014 05:07
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#23
by
input~2
on 11 Dec, 2014 06:47
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#24
by
Skyrocket
on 11 Dec, 2014 07:14
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BTW why do they do insist to locate JSLC in Gansu province and not in Inner Mongolia?
Likely because the city of Jiuquan is indeed located in the Gansu province, while the Jiuquan Space Center is more than 100 km away from the city, and is actually located in the neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This causes often this kind of confusion.
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#25
by
russianhalo117
on 11 Dec, 2014 15:53
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BTW why do they do insist to locate JSLC in Gansu province and not in Inner Mongolia?
Likely because the city of Jiuquan is indeed located in the Gansu province, while the Jiuquan Space Center is more than 100 km away from the city, and is actually located in the neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This causes often this kind of confusion.
And keep I'm mind that the USSR used the same naming tactics.
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#26
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 24 Dec, 2014 04:31
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According to official reports, this triplet launch was moved up 8 months (!) from the original schedule due to "customer demand", with the plan confirmed only in February this year! This means that the 3 sats only had 35 days of turn-around at the launch site instead of the usual 2 months.
Which brings us some speculations about another Chinese launch coming soon. But that's for another thread....
