China presented 4 satellites to new technologies on Tuesday, May 21.
A Kuaizhou-11 rocket blasted off into clear skies over the Jiuquan satellite launch center in the Gobi Desert on Tuesday at 00:15 EDT (04:15 GMT, 12:15 Beijing time). The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) showed off the successful launch a short time later.
On board the rocket were 4 satellites. These include Wuhan-1, a remote sensing satellite developed by Wuhan University, and Chutian-001, a verification satellite for the generation of remote sensing embedded in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The latter satellite is part of a VLEO constellation of three hundred spacecraft planned through CASIC.
Related: China puts the mysterious Shiyan-20C into orbit (video)
VLEO satellites, which orbit the Earth at an altitude of 150 to 300 kilometers (93 to 186 miles), promise benefits such as reduced signal time, stronger signal strength, lower force requirements, and reduced release costs. However, those satellites face increased atmospheric drag, requiring the common use of onboard propulsion. They have a shorter lifespan and need to be replaced frequently.
The two satellites unveiled on Tuesday were Tianyan-22, an atmospheric sensing satellite, and Lingque-3 (01), a remote sensing satellite from the company ZeroG Lab.
— China launches experiment into polar orbit
— China puts the mysterious Shiyan-20C into orbit (video)
— Chinese spacecraft monitored U. S. satellites on Earth.
Tuesday’s launch was only the third of the Kuaizhou-11, operated through CASIC’s subsidiary Expace. Its first launch, in July 2020, failed, before a moment of successful flight in 2022.
China intends to launch about a hundred times in 2024. La majority will be Long March rocket launches. Tuesday’s flight will be the country’s 24th orbital project of the year.
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Andrew is a freelance journalist who focuses on reporting on China’s fast-growing space sector. He began writing for Space. com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky.
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