CentiSpace-1 S5 & S6 | Long March 11

Lift Off Time
October 7, 2022 – 13:10 UTC | 21:30 CST
Mission Name
CentiSpace-1 S5 & S6
Launch Provider
(What rocket company launched it?)
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Customer
(Who paid for this?)
Future Navigation
Rocket
Long March 11
Launch Location
DeBo-3 Barge, Haiyang, Shangdong, China
Payload mass
~ 200 kg
Where did the spacecraft go?
Low Earth orbit (LEO)
Did they attempt to recover the first stage?
No, this is not a capability of the Long March 11
Where did the first stage land?
It crashed in the ocean
Did they attempt to recover the fairings?
No, this is not a capability of the Long March 11
Were these fairings new?
Yes
This was the:
– 14th Long March 11 launch 
– 3rd Long March 11 launch in 2022
– 130th orbital launch attempt of 2022 (126th successful)
Where to watch
If available, an official replay will be listed here

How Did It Go?

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) successfully launched the pair of satellites, the CentiSpace-1 S5 & S6, to Low Earth orbit, on behalf of the Beijing based company Future Navigation.

CentiSpace-1 S5 & S6 Satellites

Not much is known about the CentiSpace-1 S5 and S6 satellites. They are Chinese commercial small satellites from the company Future Navigation which will provide GNSS augmentation signals services from LEO. Each satellite is thought to be ~ 200 kg. These satellites are the beginning of a planned 160 satellites constellation.

What Is The Long March 11?

The Long March 11 is a four-stage small satellite launch vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The rocket is 20.8 m tall and 2.0 m in diameter and is capable of putting up to 700 kg (1,500 lb) into low-Earth orbit or 350 kg (770 lb) into a Sun-synchronous orbit. 

The rocket is incredibly versatile, having been designed with the capability of launching on short notice and launching from road vehicles and ships, specifically specially converted barges, namely the Tai Rui and the De Bo 3. The maiden flight of the rocket happened in September 2015 and it has since launched fourteen times, four of which have been at sea. 

Long March 11, De Bo 3 launch platform
A Long March 11 rocket launches from the De Bo 3 in 2020 (Credit: Xinhua)

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