History Xichang Satellite Launch Center

1 history

1.1 china s first manned space program
1.2 first long march-2e carrier rocket
1.3 1996 launch accident
1.4 china s first successful asat test
1.5 beginning of china s lunar exploration program
1.6 first long march-3c carrier rocket
1.7 future of center

history
china s first manned space program

in order support chinese project 714 manned space program in 1960s, construction of new space center @ xichang in sichuan province decided, located farther soviet border, safer. shuguang 1 spacecraft expected launched launch pad number one. after cancellation of program launch pad never completed. today viewing platform officials has been built @ site.

first long march-2e carrier rocket

china launched first long march-2e carrier rocket on july 16, 1990, sending orbit pakistan s first indigenously developed badr-1 satellite , hs-601.

1996 launch accident

on february 15, 1996 fatal accident occurred when first new long march 3b heavy carrier rocket carrying intelsat 708 veered off course 22 seconds after launch, crashing 1200 meters away launch pad in nearby mountain village, destroying 80 homes. according official report, 6 people died , 56 injured. number of civilian deaths has been disputed.

china s first successful asat test

china conducted on january 11, 2007 anti-satellite missile test sc-19 asat weapon.

a chinese weather satellite—the fy-1c polar orbit satellite of fengyun series, @ altitude of 865 kilometres (537 mi), mass of 750 kg—was destroyed kinetic kill vehicle.

the sc-19 have been described being based on modified df-21 ballistic missile or commercial derivative, kt-2 kinetic kill vehicle , mobile.

beginning of china s lunar exploration program

on october 24, 2007, chang e 1, un-manned moon orbiter of chang e program, launched facility, marking beginning of china’s lunar exploration program.

first long march-3c carrier rocket

china launched first long march-3c carrier rocket on april 25, 2008. 105th mission of china s long march series of rockets, , launch of nation s first data relay satellite (数据中继卫星) tianlian (天链一号).

future of center

with completion of upgrade of wenchang satellite launch center scheduled 2013, geo missions transferred new space center. due negative aspects of xichang location, such higher latitude, possibility of rocket stages falling on inhabited areas (guizhou) , limited transport infrastructures, xichang satellite launch center no longer used civilian duties. not closed, kept serve backup launch site.