China launches remote sensing satellite Yaogan-29 - Aerospace Technology
On Thursday, Nov. 26, China conducted another surprise launch this year, lifting the Yaogan-29 satellite into space. The spacecraft was launched atop a Long March 4C booster at 4:24 p.m. EST (21:24 GMT) from the LC9 launch complex at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC), located in Shanxi Province, north China. As was the case with many previous Chinese missions this year, Thursday’s launch was performed without any prior notice from the country’s officials. The mission was declared a success by the Chinese media outlets after the satellite was successfully delivered into its target Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 382 miles (615 km), inclined 97.8 degrees. Debris from the rocket fell in Hubei province in central China. No damage or injuries were reported.
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| China conducts Secretive Launch of Yaogan-28 Reconnaissance Satellite | Spaceflight101 |
According to Chinese sources, the Yaogan-29 remote sensing satellite was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and has a spatial resolution of 1.64 feet (0.5 meters), though the instrument is not known. The spacecraft weighs around three metric tons.
It is reported that Yaogan-29 features an electronic motor-powered solar panel which expands under the command from the ground control station.
The state-run Xinhua press agency insists that the satellite will be used for experiments, land surveys, crop yield estimates, and disaster relief. However, Western analysts and observers believe that the Yaogan satellites are of a military nature. They could use electronic intelligence (ELINT), electro-optical, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensing equipment for military purposes. The Yaogan system, composed of optical imaging and radar satellites, could be conducting reconnaissance on a global scale. It was inaugurated in April 2006 when the first SAR satellite was sent into space.
Read more at
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/defense/chinese-long-march-4c-rocket-conducts-surprise-yaogan-29-launch/#fkLToV3Z9k7cfkyM.99
Related/Background:
- Yaogan satellites and Chinese ASBM capability | Mirage...
- China’s Constellation of Yaogan Satellites & the Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile – An Update - Yaogan-and-ASBM-January-2015-Report.pdf
- New, Better Chinese Spy Satellite Hits Orbit | Popular Science
- China launches sensitive Yaogan-29 imaging satellite | gbtimes.com
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