A Long March 4B launch vehicle lifted off at 6:48 am on Thursday, April 27, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Shanxi Province, successfully sending a remote sensing satellite, Yaogan-1, into a pre-determined orbit. This is China’s first Long March launch in 2006.
The satellite and the LM-4B launch vehicle were mainly developed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), with sizeable contributions from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Electronics Technology Group Corp. and China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). The 2.7-tonne satellite will be mainly used for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, crop appraisals and disaster prevention and mitigation. It will contribute to the development of China’s national economy.
The LM-4B launch vehicle is a liquid propelled three-stage launch vehicle. Its launch process marks the first time that third-stage engine secondary ignition technology has been used. A range of new technologies were also applied to the satellite. The launch marks not only the 89th flight by the Long March series of launch vehicles, but also the 47th consecutive launch success since October 1996.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China’s space industry, and will be a relatively busy year in terms of launch activities, as a number of telecommunications satellites and scientific experimental satellites will be launched. The successful launch of the Yaogan-1 remote sensing satellite is a good beginning to China’s Space Year.