Long March 4B rocket successfully launched the Remote Sensing Satellite No. 43-01
2024-08-17
한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina
At 15:35 on August 16, 2024, the Long March 4B Yao-72 carrier rocket ignited and took off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, successfully sending the Remote Sensing Satellite No. 43-01 Group into the predetermined orbit.
Ignition and liftoff
The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) learned from the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (also known as the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology) that the Long March 4B carrier rocket that carried out this launch mission was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It has the ability to launch satellites of various types and orbital requirements, and can implement one-satellite or multiple-satellite launches with one rocket. The carrying capacity of the sun-synchronous orbit can reach 2.5 tons (orbital altitude 700km).
In 2018, the Long March 4 successfully carried out the launch mission of the lunar exploration project "Queqiao" relay communication satellite at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. After 6 years, the launch site's environmental protection and work process have changed, and most of the test team members are stationed at the Xichang Launch Center for the first time.
Get ready
Faced with multiple challenges such as higher complexity and tighter process arrangements, the model was planned in advance, and the launch site was visited twice at the beginning of the year to carry out coordination work and communicate the interface status in advance; after entering the site, the test team carried out a number of multi-round matching tests, invited experienced team members to share their knowledge, and conducted sufficient technical briefings with the launch site to quickly familiarize themselves with the various work processes of the launch site, and delivered a satisfactory answer sheet with zero problems in the launch site work and zero errors in operation.
As satellites have higher requirements for the carrying capacity and envelope of launch vehicles, the Long March 4 model has also accelerated its adaptation to market demand and continued to promote technological innovation. In order to provide a larger "living" space for the satellite launched this time, the Long March 4 rocket is equipped with a 4.2-meter fairing product for the first time, and the satellite envelope space has been transformed from a "one-bedroom" to a "large flat", providing a comfortable "driving experience" for the satellite.
The mission was carried out during the hot summer season, which is also the hottest season at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Due to the high humidity, the rocket after refueling was like an iced cola just taken out of the refrigerator, and condensation was prone to occur on the surface of the rocket body. The technicians adopted a full-rocket rainproof design for the rocket, adopted a variety of methods to seal the electrical connectors, the docking surface of the rocket body and other locations, and set drainage holes for the long row covers, etc., to ensure the successful execution of the mission.
Rocket Transport
The Remote Sensing Satellite No. 43 E03 was also developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The satellite focused on low-cost, short-cycle, and rapid development models. The development team was streamlined and efficient, and the development process was simplified and refined. It took about a year to successfully complete all the work from model approval to satellite entry, exploring a new model for rapid satellite development.
This launch is the 106th launch of the Long March 4 series of launch vehicles, the 215th launch of the Long March series of launch vehicles developed and manufactured by Shanghai Aerospace, and the 531st launch of the Long March series of launch vehicles.
The Paper reporter Yu Kai
(This article is from The Paper. For more original information, please download the "The Paper" APP)
