Status
Success
Double Star E
Launch Time
Mon Dec 29, 2003 19:06 UTC
Mon Dec 29, 2003 19:06 UTC
First flight of the SM upper stage.
Rocket
Mission Details
Double Star E (TC-1)
Double Star is a joint satellite-based space mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It is the first space mission launched by China to investigate Earth's magnetosphere. It consists of two satellites: an Equatorial satellite (TC-1) and a Polar satellite (TC-2). Double Star follows in the footsteps of ESA's Cluster mission by studying the effects of the Sun on the Earth's environment. After a nominal mission of one year (from the launch of TC-2 in July 2004), the Double Star mission was extended twice by both agencies till the end of September 2007.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 660.0 kg
Highly Elliptical Orbit
Location
LC-3, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
Stats
2003
63rd orbital launch attempt
Long March 2C
19th mission
1st mission of 2003
19th successful mission