Author: admin

          Today I am going to talk about recent Chinese satellite launches. In 2007 China launched two navigation satellite, an ocean survey satellite,  a Nigerian communication satellite, two remote sensing satellites, two communication satellites, a Brazilian remote sensing satellite and a lunar orbiter. 
          In 2008 China launched a data relay satellite, two meteorological satellites, a direct broadcast satellite, two disaster monitoring satellites, two satellites to monitor the space environment, two commercial communication satellites, an Earth observation satellite, an optical imaging satellite and a remote sensing satellite.
          In 2009 China launched a navigation satellite, an Earth resources satellite,  a commercial communication satellite, a military optical reconnaissance satellite, a remote sensing satellite and an additional satellite whose function was not announced.
          In 2010 China launched five navigation satellites, three military reconnaissance satellites, three technology satellites, an earth observation satellite, a commercial broadcast satellite, a lunar orbiter, a meteorological satellite and a military communications satellite.
          In 2011 China launched three navigation satellites, four commercial communication satellites, two scientific and technology satellites, a data relay satellite, an oceanography satellite, a communication satellite, a space station module,  a unmanned spacecraft, a military optical reconnaissance satellite, two Earth observation technology satellites, a technology demonstration satellite, a store and forward messaging satellite and a military reconnaissance satellite.
         In 2012 China launched an Earth imaging satellite, a ship tracking satellite, a meteorological satellite, six navigation satellites, two commercial communication satellites, a land survey and mapping satellite, an Earth observation satellite, an experimental nanosatellite1, a military communications satellite, a data relay satellite,  a Venezuelan remote sensing satellite, two technology satellites, two Earth observation satellites, three technology demonstration satellites and three military maritime surveillance satellites.  
         In 2013 China launched two Earth observation satellites, three technology cubesats2, two commercial communications satellites, a military technology satellite, three technology satellites, three Russian military communications satellites, three military maritime surveillance satellites, a meteorological satellite, a military SAR radar imaging satellite, a military optical imaging satellite, an experimental Earth resources satellite and a lunar lander and rover.
        From 2007 to the present, China has launched:
·           1 commercial broadcast satellite
·         11 commercial communication satellite
·           3  communication satellite
·           3 data relay satellite
·           1 direct broadcast satellite
·         11 disaster monitoring satellite
·           1 experimental Earth resources satellite
·           1 Earth imaging satellite
·           7 Earth observation satellite
·           1 Earth observation technology
·           1 Earth resources satellite
·           1 experimental nanosatellite
·           1 land survey and mapping satellite
·           1 lunar lander and rover
·           2 lunar orbiter
·           5 meteorological satellite
·           2 military communications satellite
·           6 military maritime surveillance satellites
·           1 military optical imaging satellite
·           2 military optical reconnaissance satellite
·           2 military reconnaissance satellite
·           1 military SAR radar imaging satellites
·           1 military technology satellite
·         17 navigation satellites
·           1 ocean survey satellite
·           1 oceanography satellite
·           1 optical imaging satellite
·           5 remote sensing satellites
·           2 scientific and technology satellite
·           1 ship tracking satellite
·           2 space environment monitoring satellites
·           1 space station module
·           1 spacecraft without a crew
·           1 store and forward messaging satellite
·           3 technology cubesats
·           4 technology demonstration satellites
·           8 technology satellites
Notes:
1. Nanosatellites are tiny research satellites that are between 2.2 pounds and 22 pounds.
2. A CubeSat is a cube-shaped  research satellite that usually has a volume of exactly one liter or about four inches on a side with a mass of no more than ten pounds. They are often constructed commercial off-the-shelf electronic components.
Cubesat:

Estcube-1_2012-12-27.jpg

          Today I am going to start a series of posts about Chinese launch facilities. The first facility I am going to cover is the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The JSLC is located about a thousand miles west of Beijing in the Gobi desert. It is over three thousand feet above sea level. The very dry location which has extended daylight hours. The area has an annual average temperature of forty seven degree Fahrenheit  and average relative humidity between thirty five and fifty five percent. The terrain is very flat with an unobstructed view in all directions. Missions can be launched three hundred days a year. It is an excellent area for satellite and space craft launches.
          The JSLC is part of the Dongfeng Aerospace City, also referred to as Base 10. Both the Soviet Union and the Chinese Communists have dedicated whole cities to a particular industry. Considering the deep involvement of the Soviet Union  with early Chinese space exploration, it is probably that the SU provided technical assistance in the design and construction of the spaceport. Although the JSLC is actually located in Inner Mongolia, it is named for the nearest major Chinese city. All three of the Chinese spaceports in remote regions of China and they are closed to the Chinese public and to foreigners.
           The JSLC was created in 1958 as the first Chinese launch facility or spaceport. Initially, it was used by the military for testing missiles but it now launches civilian and foreign space missions. It has hosted more launches than either of the other two Chinese spaceports. The JSLC is dedicated to launching satellites and spacecraft into low and medium orbits with large orbital inclination angles. It is also used to test medium and long range missiles. Included in the site are:
·         The Technical Center,
·         The Launch Complex,
·         The Launch Control Center,
·         The Mission Command and Control Center
·         Other support systems. 
The JSLC covers more than a thousand square miles and provides housing for around twenty thousand people. The JSLC has been the location of many important Chinese launches including the first satellite in 1970, the first launch of another country’s satellite in 1992 and the first manned mission in 2003. There have been a series of manned launches and a space station launch from JSLC up to the present.
            The JSLC has four launch areas designated
·         Launch Area One with one launch pad
·         Launch Area Two with three launch pads
·         Launch Area four with two launch pads
·         Launch Area Four with two launch pads
Launch Area Four is currently the only operational Launch area. The powerful Long March 2C, 2D, 2F and 4C rockets are launched from this pair of launch pads. Hundreds of missions have been launched from the JSLC.
Launch of a Long March 2D rocket from Jiuquan:

Jinquin launch facility.jpg

           I mentioned in a previous post that China has been building and launching satellites for other countries. This is not a unique practice since other countries have launched satellites for countries without their own space programs. However, in most cases, these other countries launch services have been aimed at making money. In China’s case, there seems to be more to it.
           China has constructed and launched geosynchronous communication satellites for Nigeria, Pakistan and Venezuela as well as earth observation satellites for Turkey. There are plans to build and launch satellites for Sri Lankra, Turkmenistan and Belarus. In addition to the revenue for China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and its subsidiary China Great Wall Industry Corporation, China’s launch services are part of a diplomatic push to develop good relations with developing nations. China is busy buying up natural resources, farm land and buildings all over the world and the good will of current and potential suppliers is valuable for future trade.
          In December of 2013 China launched the Tupac Katari 1, a communication satellite that they built for Bolivia. This is Bolivia’s first communication satellite. It was financed by Bolivia and the China Development Bank. As part of the satellite package, China also trained seventy eight Bolivian satellite operators at the Shenzhou Institute. Operators have also been trained for the satellites that China launched for other developing nations.
          A press release from the Chinese President said after the launch, “The satellite will play an important role for Bolivia to improve its broadcasting, education and medical services. It will make important contributions to promote cooperation between China and Latin American countries. China hopes for more space collaboration with Bolivia, which will promote mutual beneficial cooperation and friendly relations.” The Bolivian President responded with “China and Bolivia will take the opportunity of the successful launch to deepen cooperation in all areas and bring bilateral ties to a higher level.”
          Formal diplomatic ties between Bolivia and China began in 1985. Bilateral relations include economic and cultural ties as well as military aid, transportation, infrastructure, raw materials, education and other areas. China exports hardware, machinery, light industrial goods, textiles, and other consumer goods to Bolivia. Bolivia exports lumber and mineral ores to China. China has loaned Bolivia fifteen billion dollars to help them develop the El Mutun iron-ore deposit. Bolivia will probably export iron ore to China when the infrastructure is in place to mine the iron ore.
          Other Chinese joint projects in developing nations such as infrastructure development, mining projects, land and energy development have been labeled as “neo-colonial.” When resources become scarce, the people of these other nations might prefer to retain their natural resources rather that honor contracts with the Chinese. The joint space projects are not seen as “neo-colonial” because the satellites that are launched wind up in space and not within the borders of the developing nation.
Tupac Katari 1:

tupac-katari-1__1.jpg

              In the fall of 2011, China launched its first space station, the Tiangong 1, aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket. It was launched into orbit without a crew. Its mission was to serve as manned laboratory and a test platform for orbital rendezvous. The Tiangong 1was remotely maneuver into different obits during its mission. The Tiangong 1 is intended to be the first in a series of three Tiangong space stations with the largest to be launched in 2023. The Tiangong is still in orbit today.
           The Tiangong 1 weighs almost nineteen thousand pounds. The station is a cylinder, thirty four feet long and eleven feet in diameter. It consists of two modules; one for the solar panels and propulsion, the other for the laboratory and living quarters. There are two sleeping stations and exercise equipment onboard. The pressurized volume is a little over five hundred cubic feet. When a Shenzhou space capsule is docked with the station, toilets, cooking facilities and a third sleep station are provided in the capsule.
          Shortly after the launch of the Tiangong 1 station, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft was launched. It was remotely maneuvered into successfully docking and undocking three times with the Tiangong 1 to test the docking apparatus. The Shenzhou 8 was in orbit for sixteen days during the tests. The Shenzhou 8 was the last of the Shenzhou spacecraft to see significant modifications. The Chinese intend to use the finalized design for future manned missions.
           In mid-2012, the Shenzhou 9 was launched with a crew of three on a Long March 2F Rocket. One of the astronauts was the first woman to be launched into space by China. The Shenzhou 9 was successfully docked via remote control from the ground with the Tiangong 1 station. After pressure was equalized between the spacecraft and the station, the crew moved into the Tiangong 1. During the six day mission, one member of the crew slept in the Shenzhou 9. During the mission, the crew of the spacecraft successfully undocked and docked the Shenzhou manually. After the mission was completed, the Shenzhou 9 undocking and returned successfully to Earth in Mongolia.
           In mid-2013, the Shenzhou 10 was launched with a crew of three on a Long March 2F Rocket. It rendezvoused with the Tiangong 1 and the crew spent fourteen days conducting physical, technological, and scientific experiments including research in space medicine. One of the astronauts taught a physics class to Chinese students via a live television transmission. The Shenzhou 10 undocked and returned successfully to Earth. The Shenzhou 10 mission was the last in the first phase of the Tiangong 1 mission.
Tiangong 1:

tiangong-1-china-space-lab-front-art.jpg

       In my last blog post I brought my coverage of the Chinese Space Program up to 2002 and the final unmanned launched of a space craft capable of taking astronauts to orbit. Today, I am going to talk about the first manned missions launched by the Chinese.
       The Chinese launched four uncrewed missions with spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to test life-support and other critical components of their manned craft, the Shenzhou. The last uncrewed launch involved the Shenzhou 4, a complete version of a crewed spacecraft. The launch took place in December of 2002 and the mission was successful.
        In late 2003, the stage was set for the launch of the Shenzhou 5, China’s first attempt to launch human beings into orbit. The Shenzhou 5 weighed seventeen hundred pounds and carried a single man crew. It was carried into orbit by a Long March 2F rocket. The mission lasted less than a day and only completed fourteen orbits before returning to Earth. The Chinese media devoted a great deal of time bragging about the mission. China had become the third nation, behind the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., to launch a human being into orbit.
         Although U.S. official publicly congratulated China on its achievement, U.S. policy since 2000 had been an embargo on any cooperation with the Chinese space program. The U.S. was afraid that U.S. space technology might be acquired by the Chinese and passed along to nations such as North Korea, Iran or Syria for military use. The U.S. government also opposed the use of Chinese launch capabilities by non-Chinese commercial interests. Various sorts of financial penalties have been used to punish U.S. companies that broke the U.S. embargo on the Chinese space program.
         The Shenzhou 6 spacecraft was launched on October of 2005 shortly before the anniversary of the launch of Shenzhou 5. The Shenzhou 6 was sent into orbit aboard a Long March 2F rocket. This mission carried two crew members. It lasted five days and completed seventy five orbits of the Earth before returning. The crew carried out various experiments and changed orbit several times to test maneuverability. Details of the mission were kept secret by the Chinese.
         The Shenzhou 7 spacecraft was the last in the Shenzhou series of launches. It was launched on a Long March 2F rocket in September of 2008 with a crew of three and marked the third manned spaceflight for China. The mission lasted three days. During the mission, a Chinese astronaut left the spacecraft  for twenty two minutes, the first time any Chinese astronaut engaged in a Extra-vehicular Activity or EVA. The Shenzhou changed from its original elliptical orbit to a more circular orbit during the mission. A small satellite was launched from the spacecraft. The Chinese also launched a satellite to facilitate communication with the Shenzhou 7. The Shenzhou 7 passed within forty five miles of the International Space Station but the Chinese would not answer questions about the close passage. With the landing of the Shenzhou 7, the first phase of China’s manned space flight program ended.
Shenzhou 7:

shenzhou 7.jpg

        The watershed events of Mao’s death in 1976 and Dong Xiaoping’s rise to power in 1978 brought many changes in China. The development of the China’s space program slowed and some military missile projects were cancelled. But the space program recovered from the slow down and new projects were launched.
        In 1978, the first Yuanwang class space craft tracking vessel was commissioned and built followed by a second in 1979 . The name means “Long View.” This class of ships is dedicated to tracking launches of missiles and satellites. For the first time, these ships allowed China to track launches that were taking place outside of China.
        The Long March 1 rockets that launched China’s first satellites in 1970 and 1974  were followed by the Long March 2 flew in the 1970s on reconnaissance missions. In 1982 and 1983, the Long March 2C was developed and successfully launched again for reconnaissance. Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Long March 2C rockets were launched for reconnaissance missions.
         In 1984, the Chinese launched the Long March 3 rocket to place China’s first geosynchronous satellite, Chinasat-1. In 1985, the Chinese began making the Long March 3 rocket available to launch foreign satellites, primarily for European and Asian countries. In addition, a whole series of Chinasat geosynch communication satellites were launched with Long March 3 rockets.
         In 1986, an attempt was made to proceed with the Chinese manned space program. Project 863-2 was an ambitious plan to launch a space station and space craft to bring astronauts to the station. This particular project was never implemented but did lead to other manned launch projects. The Chinese Ministry of Aerospace Industry was founded in 1988.  
         In the 1990s, the Long March 2 series of rockets continued their launches for reconnaissance and satellites. The Long March 3 rockets continued to launch communication satellites into geosynchronous orbit. Most of the launches were successful although there were occasional failures.
         In 1992, authorization and funding was passed for a major manned space flight program called Project 921-2. The plan called for four launches of unmanned capsules and two launches of capsules with crews. The first unmanned launch of the Shenzhou 1 space craft took place in late 1999 powered by the Long March 2F rocket. This sixteen thousand pound craft achieved obit and descended successfully after twenty one hours and fourteen orbits. This was followed by the unmanned Shenzhou 2 in 2001 with several animals about and a number of experiments. The craft orbited for over seven days, completing one hundred and seventeen orbits, the unmanned Shenzhou 3 was the first craft that tested life support for human crew. It was aloft for almost seven days and completed one hundred and seven orbits before descending. The final unmanned mission, the Shenzhou 4 was launched in 2002. It was completely outfitted for a human crew and followed the same mission profile as the Shenzhou 3.
       With the successful completion of the four planned unmanned missions, China now stood on the brink of launching human beings into space.
Chinese Shenzhou 4 manned space craft:

SZ-4_2.jpg

       The Cultural Revolution, which was started by Mao in 1966, convulsed China. During the Cultural Revolution, many bureaucrats, teachers, and other professionals were purged and forced to work in the countryside as Mao sought to removed “capitalist” elements from positions of authority. The turbulence that ensued did serious social and economic damage to China.   
          In 1969, the Shanghai’s 2nd Bureau of Mechanic-Electrical Industry started work on China’s first heavy-lift satellite launch vehicle called the FB-1. It was an all liquid propellant two stage rocket based on the design of the Chinese DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missile. At about the same time, the First Space Academy in Beijing started work on its own heavy lift vehicle known as the CZ-1, also based on the DF-5 ICBM design. The Chinese intermediate range ballistic DF-4 missile was used to develop a third state rocket motor to ride atop two liquid fuel stages for the Long March-1 SLV. The LM-1 SLV was used in an attempt to launch a Chinese satellite in November of 1969 but the launch failed.
          In the spring of 1970, a satellite was successfully launched with a CZ-1 rocket. The Dong Fang Hong 1 satellite weighed three hundred and eighty pounds making it the heaviest satellite launched by any country up to then. A one hundred and thirty square foot solar reflector was deployed by the solid fuel booster that inserted the satellite into orbit. The solar reflector made the satellite easy to see with the naked eye. A second satellite was successfully launched in the winter of 1971 with the last of the CZ-1 rockets. The ShiJian-1 satellite weighted about four hundred and ninety pounds.
         A manned space program named Project 714 was initiated in the spring of 1971. Nineteen astronauts had been selected by March of 1971. The goal of the program was to launch two astronauts into orbit aboard the Shuguang manned spacecraft. The CZ-2A rocket was going to be used in the launch. The turbulence of the Cultural Revolution in China caused the program to be cancelled in 1972.
         In the summer of 1972, a new heavy-lift rocket called the SLV FB-1 was launched but the test was only partially successful. The CZ-2A rocket was tested in November of 1974. It was used to launch a recoverable satellite called the FSW-0 but the launch failed. A modified CZ-2C rocket was used a few weeks later to successfully launch the FSW-0.
         Mao died in the summer of 1976 and Deng Xiaoping emerged as the new leader of China in 1978. The nightmare of the Cultural Revolution ended with the ascent of Deng Xiaoping to power. Many of Mao’s projects were slowed and some were just cancelled including military projects such as an anti-ballistic missile program and an ICBM radar tracking system.
Diagram of Shuguang manned spacecraft:

Shuguang manned spacecraft.png

         At the end of World War II, the Russians and the Americans both captured German rocket scientists and rocket technology. Mao Zedong led a communist revolution and rose to power in China in1949. Concerned with the U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons in the Korean War in the early Fifties, Mao decided that China needed to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them in order to be respected and taken seriously by the other major powers. He established the Chinese space program in 1956. The newly created Fifty Academy of the Chinese National Defense Ministry produced the “Twelve Year Plan for Chinese Aerospace” in October of1956.
         When the Soviet Union launched their Sputnik satellite in 1957, the major world powers were drawn into a space race. Not wanting to be left behind, Mao decided in 1958 that China would launch a satellite in 1959 to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The plan was designated as Project 581. The first Chinese missile base named Base 20 was constructed in 1958.
          The Chinese were on good terms with the Soviets during this period. The first Chinese missile was a copy of the Soviet R-2, a short range ballistic missile. The R-2 was a copy of the German V-2 rocket which was powered by a mixture of liquid oxygen and alcohol. The Chinese launched a sounding rocket called the T-7 with an instrument package to perform tests in 1960. Around 1960, Mao denounced the Soviet Union which triggered the so-called Sino-Soviet Split. All Soviet assistance for the fledgling Chinese missile program ended.
          The DF-1, the first Chinese built copy of the Soviet R-2 short range missile, was successfully launched at the end of 1960. The Chinese developed midrange missiles in the early 1960s. They launched the T-7A sounding rocket with white mice onboard in 1964. They constructed their first intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-5, in 1965. An intermediate range missile was also developed during the mid-1960s. The Chinese successfully launched a missile with a nuclear warhead and the 20-kiloton warhead was detonated in 1966. Work was started on a missile that could be launched from a submarine in 1967.
         As the United States prepared to send a man to the moon, Mao decided that China had to compete with the other nations which had manned space programs. He started the Chinese manned space program in mid-1967. The first Chinese spacecraft intended to carry a human crew was announced in January 1968. It was called the Shuguang-1. The Chinese Space Medical Institute was founded in April of 1968 and the Central Military commission began working on the selection and training of astronauts. The Chinese were concerned about security of their military installations and moved sensitive facilities to remote areas of China’s interior. A new space center called Base 27 was constructed in Sichuan province.
Base 27:
:

Base 27.png

         I have been fascinated by the China since I was a child. Their civilization has existed for thousands of years. Periodically, they would have a strong leader who would unite the country and provide stability for exploration, innovation and trade. Then their empire would collapse from corruption and civil war or external invasion. After a time, a strong leader would arise to unify the nation and the cycle would repeat. New emperors would often make sweeping changes including burning libraries and killing intellectuals.
        They have invented and forgotten many technologies that the West believed were invented in the West. Dr. Joseph Needham was a British scientist who visited China during World War II. He travel widely and sought Chinese books about science and technology. In 1948, he proposed a project on Science and Civilization in China to the Cambridge University Press. The first book was published in 1954 and an additional twenty three volumes have been published. wrote a monumental exploration of the many firsts of China in 19XX. Some of their most important inventions were papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing, etc.
         A recently published book by Gavin Menzies claims that many of the inventions attributed to Leonardo da Vinci were actually copied from a Chinese technology encyclopedia written in brought to Florence by a Chinese expedition around 1435. Many of these designs had to do with warfare.
         One of the great puzzles in the history of science and technology is the question of why Europe beat China to the great scientific revolutions that ushered in the modern industrial age. Part of the answer has to do with the influence of Confucianism on the Chinese culture. The emperors were careful to keep the practitioners of different technologies separate from each other in order to reduce social turbulence. It is ironic to consider that the Renaissance and launch of the Industrial Age in the West might have been triggered by the Chinese expedition to Florence.
         The Chinese used gunpowder for both warfare and for fireworks displays. The Song Dynasty used gunpowder in rockets. Tubes of gunpowder were attached to arrows. The Ming Dynasty made major innovations in rocketry. Hard wooden tubes full of gunpowder were capped with a sword or spear. Multi-rocket launches were pioneered with a single fuse igniting up to a hundred rockets. The Chinese moved multi-launch rockets to the Great Wall and used them against the Mongols.
Another innovation was putting a fused warhead in the rockets that would explode when the rocket landed.
         The Mongols developed rockets during their wars with China. They ultimately conquered the northern part of China and acquired Chinese rocket technology and technicians. They employed rockets in their conquest of Russia and Easter Europe in the Thirteenth Century. The Ottoman empire used rockets in the siege of Constantinople in the Fifteenth Century. There is mention in Arab records of the use of Mongol Rockets in attacks on Bagdad in 1258. European nations continued developing rockets for use in warfare. The Germans attacked Britain with their advanced V-2 rockets in World War II. The Soviet Union captured German rocket scientists and used them to develop their own rocket technology. After Mao Zedong rose to power in the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, the Soviets shared their captured technology. The first Chinese Communist rocket was copied from a Soviet rocket that was copied from the German V-2.
Ancient multi-launch Chinese rockets:
 
 

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