According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country’s principal space contractor, China launched a satellite on Sunday morning to conduct technological experiments for space debris control.
According to a press statement from the State-owned corporation, the Shijian 21 was lifted by a Long March 3B carrier rocket at 9:27 a.m. from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China’s Sichuan province and subsequently entered its preset orbit. The launch was the Long March rocket family’s 393rd flight.
At Beijing Academy of Manned space flight Science displayed a ancillary service aircraft” at the Zhuhai Aviation museum in late September. After approaching within two metres of the objective, it would be able to board with and refuel a suitable satellite.
Space Logistics, a Northrop Grumman company, has developed Mission Extension Vehicles, while DARPA, the Space Agency, Astroscale of Japan, and others are developing refuelling spaceships.
This is CASC’s 36th mission of the year, and China’s 39th globally, including launches from country spinoff Expace and private contractor iSpace. China’s next launch will exceed the country’s previous record of 39 orbital launches in a calendar year, which was achieved in 2018 and equal in 2020.
Asia’s Kuaizhou-1A missile also return to flight on Monday (Sept. 27), the rocket’s first mission since it failed to carry the Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C satellite into orbit in September 2020. According to SpaceNews, the missile finally delivered the Jilin-1 Gaofen 02D satellite into orbit.
The pair orbital launches on Monday were China’s 35th and 36th of 2021. The missions were carried out by the China Aerospace Science and Development Corp. (CASC), which has more than 40 missions planned for this year.
The iSpace Hyperbola 2 rocket is meant to be reusable, using engines powered by methane and liquid oxygen in the first and second stages. The Hyperbola 2 rocket will stand 92 feet (28 metres) tall, and its first stage will attempt a propulsive landing, which will allow iSpace to retrieve, repair, and reuse the booster.
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