China launches the second VRSS satellite for Venezuela and completes return-to-flight for Long March-2

by | Oct 9, 2017 | China, Launches, Satellites, Seradata News

At 0413 GMT, 9 October, a Long March-2D (CZ-2D) rocket lifted-off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, carrying the second Venezuelan Remote Sensing Satellite, VRSS-2. The satellite was placed into 645 km sun-synchronous orbit.

In 2014, following the launch of its predecessor, VRSS-1, – launched in 2012 – Venezuela signed a second turn-key construction/launch contract with China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) for another VRSS spacecraft. Making this VRSS-2 spacecraft the third satellite constructed and launched for Venezuela by China (the first being the VENESAT 1 comms spacecraft launched in 2008).

The Long March-2D rocket lifts-off from Jiuquan, China carrying the VRSS-2 spacecraft for Venezuela. Courtesy of NASASpaceflight forum

 

This mission marks the first time a Long March-2 variant has launched during 2017. The rocket has been absent form the Chinese launch schedule so far this year due to a first-stage anomaly on its last launch in December 2016. During this launch of the first two GAOJING 1 spacecraft the first-stage underperformed, suffering a 100 m/s loss of velocity, resulting in its passengers being deposited into a sub-optimal orbit.

About Seradata

Seradata produce the renowned Seradata database. Trusted by over 100 of the world’s leading Space organisations, Seradata is a fully queryable database used for market analysis, failure/risk assessment, spectrum analysis and space situational awareness (SSA).

For more information go to https://www.seradata.com/product/

Related Articles

Categories

Archives

Tags

nasaspacexecoreviewsissesaArianespacevideochinaFalcon 9v1.2FT Block 525virgin galacticULAfalcon 9RoscosmosevaDGAspacewalkaviation weekaressoyuzIGTInternational Space StationRocket LabBeidouawardsBlue OriginStarlinkspaceSatellite broadcastingrussiamoonboeingAirbus DSISROCargo Return VehicleresearchOneWebmarsblogspaceshiptwojaxaorionmarsimpactdelayhyperbolaEutelsatdemocratrocketlunarhypertextobamagoogle lunar prizelaunchVegabarack obamaconstellationSEStourismnorthfiguresthales alenia spacespaceflightnode 2fundedIntelsatRaymond Lygo2009Lockheed MartinExpress MD-2Elon MuskAtlas Vromess2dassault aviationaviationLucy2008wk2sstlukradiomissilesuborbitaldocking portexplorationAriane 5 ECAVirgin OrbittestinternetLong March 2D/2sts-122Ariane 5Northrop GrummanSLSChina Manned Space EngineeringElectronflightspace tourism2010cotsnewspapermissile defensegalileospaceportExpress AMU 1Long March 4Cbuildspace stationaltairsoyuz 2-1aProton Minternational astronautical congressshuttlespace shuttleEuropean Space AgencyLauncherOneCosmosIntelsat 23scaled compositesnew yorkrulesAriane 6hanleybudgetatvVietnamshenzhoucongressMojaveboldenLong March 2COrbital ATKInmarsatcnesnew shepardiaclunar landerGuiana Space CenterkscApollolawsSpace Systems/LoralUK Space AgencyLong March 4BKuaizhou 1AILSprotonUS Air ForceTalulah RileydarpaElectron KSFalcon 9v1.2 Block 5Vega CeuAstriumSkylonpicturebaseusaastronautdragonlanderfiveeventTelesatNorth KoreaSSLAprilSNC50thinterviewLong MarchSea LaunchfalconWednesdaycustomerlinkatlantissuccessor