Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/SHANXI: China successfully launched 14 new satellites atop a Long March-2D carrier rocket on Sunday, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country’s main space contractor.
The mission was declared a success with all 14 satellites entering the planned orbit. The newly launched satellites include Jilin-1 Gaofen 03D34, Qilu-2 and Qilu-3 and Luojia-3 01.
Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
The satellite rocket took off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province in northern China at 11:14 am Beijing Time on Sunday. The launch marked the 462nd flight of the Long March carrier rocket series and China’s fifth rocket lift-off in 2023.
Designed and built by the Shanghai Academy, Long March 2D is propelled by liquid propellants. Having a lift-off thrust of 300 metric tons, the rocket is capable of sending a 1.3-ton spacecraft to a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 700 kilometres.
To transport the 14 satellites, which were built by seven institutes and enterprises, the rocket’s designers developed a new small-satellite adapter that could be utilized in future launches tasked with carrying many small satellites, according to the company.
