On April 21st, at 7:45 AM, the Chang Zheng-2D carrier rocket ignited and lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, sending the Remote Sensing Satellite 42-02 into its designated orbit. The launch mission achieved complete success.
Chang Zheng-2D is a two-stage liquid-fueled carrier rocket capable of launching single or multiple satellites into different orbits from the Jiuquan, Taiyuan, and Xichang Satellite Launch Centers. It has a payload capacity of 1.3 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
This marks the 517th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets and the fourth successful launch of Chang Zheng-2D within a month since March 21st. It is the second successful launch within the past week.
The four missions were diverse and distinctive. The first mission, Expedition No. 3, carried an upper stage from Jiuquan, setting a new record for the height difference in orbit for refreshing an asynchronous multi-star deployment.
The second and fourth missions were synchronized in design, production, and launch, all taking place at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
The third mission efficiently fulfilled commercial obligations in just over five months, setting a new record for the shortest fulfillment period for the Long March 2D.
In this mission, a new flight control algorithm was employed, further enhancing the reliability of the rocket's flight.
It's worth noting that among the 54 trial team members involved in this mission, six were born after 2000, while 36 were born in the 1990s.
