Lift Off Time | June 09, 2021 – 12:00 UTC | 20:00 BJT |
|---|---|
Mission Name | Ningxin-1, a series of Chinese commercial remote sensing satellites |
Launch Provider | Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology |
Customer | Ningxia Jingui Information Technology Company |
Rocket | Long March 6 (CZ-6) |
Launch Location | LC-16, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China |
Payload mass | 700 kg (1543 Ib) |
Where are the satellites going? | Low-Earth Orbit, altitude unknown |
Will they be attempting to recover the first stage? | No, this is not a capability of the Long March 6 |
Where will the first stage land? | It will crash in the north eastern region of China |
Will they be attempting to recover the fairings? | No, this is not a capability of the Long March 6 |
Are these fairings new? | Yes |
This will be the: | – 6th flight of a Long March 6 rocket – 23rd orbital Chinese launch attempt of 2021 – 67th orbital launch attempt of 2021 |
Where to watch | Official livestream (if available) |
What does all this mean?
The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology will be launching five Ningxia-1 satellites into a low-Earth orbit atop their Long March 6 launch vehicle. The rocket will lift off from LC-16 in the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in China. This will mark the second launch of Ningxia satellites, which will boost the number of satellites to ten.
Ningxia-1 Satellites
As with the majority of Chinese payloads, little is known about the Ningxia-1 satellites. The Ningxia-1 is a series of Chinese commercial remote sensing satellites, owned and operated by Ningxia Jingui Information Technology. There are currently five satellites in orbit, which were launched in November of 2019. The constellation is used for monitoring RF spectrums, monitoring traffic, and for signal intelligence.
Each satellite has a mass of roughly 140 kg (310 lb) and is equipped with a solar array and batteries. The satellites are built by DFH Satellite Company.
Long March 6
The Long March 6, or Chang Zheng 6 (CZ-6), is a liquid fueled small-lift launch vehicle developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) together with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The Long March 6 was developed for Sun-synchronous orbits, and can put up to 1,080 kg of payloads into a 700 km SSO.
The vehicle is 29.3 m tall and 3.35 m wide, it is reminiscent, not only in form, but also in payload capability, of Arianespace’s VEGA rocket.
LM-6’s First Stage
Long March 6’s first stage is 3.35 m in diameter and powered by one YF-100 engine that is fueled by highly refined kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOx). The engine produces 1,200 kN of thrust at lift off and has a specific impulse of 300 s and 335 s at sea level and in a vacuum, respectively. The YF-100 engine is an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle engine.
LM-6’s Second Stage
The second stage is thinner at only 2.25 m in diameter and is powered by a single YF-115 engine. Just like the YF-100, the YF-115 is powered by highly refined kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOx). It produces 180 kN in a vacuum and has an ISP of 341.5 s. Again, just like the YF-100, the YF-115 is also an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle engine.
LM-6’s Third Stage
It is unclear what engine or engines the third stage utilizes. Different sources and renders show either one engine that could run on the hypergolic fuels dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), or four YF-85 engines that run on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and highly refined kerosene (RP-1). On the website of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), they state that the third stage is powered by one YF-50E engine that runs on N2O4 and UDMH. Either way, this third stage has relight capability to put the payloads into custom orbits.
