Jilin-1 Gaofen 01B

Meet Jilin-1 Gaofen 01, a series of commercial satellites from China's Chang Guang Satellite Technology company.

The satellites are able to see Earth's surface with a resolution of 4 meters across a 136 km field of view.

The constellation operates in a 485 km orbit with a 97.3 degree inclination.

This means the satellites are in Sun-synchronous orbit and will pass over the same point on Earth with the same lighting conditions each time.

Jilin-1 Gaofen-03B #1-3

The Jilin-1 Gaofen-03 series are small, 42 kg, high-resolution satellites.

They provide high-definition video of Earth's surface, operate in approximately 580 km high orbits, and see down to 1 meter resolution.

Photo: A Jilin-1 Gaofen 03. Credit: Supercluster

The Long March 2D (CZ-2D) is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), part of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). It is part of the broader Long March rocket family, known for its reliability and versatility. The Long March 2D is primarily designed to launch satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) and Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), making it suitable for missions like Earth observation, scientific research, and communication satellite deployment.

Specs

Height: 41.1 meters (134.8 feet)

Diameter: 3.35 meters (11 feet)

Liftoff Mass: 232 metric tons

Stages: 2 stages

Thrust (at liftoff): ~2,961 kN (666,000 lbf) from four YF-21C engines

Engine types: YF-21C engines (Stage 1) and YF-24C engines (Stage 2, with a YF-22C main engine and YF-23C vernier engines for control)

First launched in 1992, the Long March 2D has become a reliable workhorse for China's space program. It uses hypergolic propellants—unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) as an oxidizer—which allow for efficient, though toxic, combustion. The rocket can carry payloads of 3,500 kg to LEO or 1,300 kg to SSO at 700 km altitude.

LC-9

One of three launch sites at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, LA-9 (Launch Area 9) hosts the Chang Zheng 2C, 4B, and 4C rocket variants.

The pad was used for the first time in October 2008.

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is located in Kelan County, Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China.

It became fully operational in 1968 and is used primarily to launch weather, Earth observation, and science missions to Sun-Synchronous orbits.

The launch site has also hosted Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile tests.

Taiyuan has three launch pads, LA-7, LA-9, and LA-16, and currently hosts the launches of the Chang Zheng 1D, 2C, 4A, 4B, 4C, and 6 rockets.