NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Tiantong-1 03

Launch Time
Tue Jan 19, 2021 16:25 UTC

Rocket

Long March 3B/E
Image Credit: CASC
CASC
Status: Active
Price: $29.15 million
Liftoff Thrust: 5,986 kN
Payload to LEO: 11,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 5,550 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 56.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 4.2 m
Fairing Height: 9.56 m

Mission Details

Tiantong-1 03

Designed by the CAST Institute (China Academy of Space Technology), a subsidiary of the Chinese aerospace group CASC specializing in spacecraft design, the Tiantong-1 02 satellite will be operated by China Satellite Communications Co. Ltd, another CASC subsidiary that owns about ten communication satellites such as the ChinaStar and APStar.

It uses a Chinese DFH-4 satellite platform, and, according to its manufacturer CAST, has the highest payload mass utilization rate compared to other satellites of the same family.

The project was launched in 2010 following the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, where almost all ground communication networks were paralyzed. China had no mobile communication satellites at the time, so it had to lease services from foreign countries, such as Inmarsat in Europe, for its rescue teams.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5,400.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

LC-2, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China

Stats

2021

3rd orbital launch attempt

Long March 3

130th mission
1st mission of 2021
122nd successful mission
6th consecutive successful mission