DRO-A/B

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Lunar Orbit
Mission: Technology

Lunar Orbit Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Two spacecraft by the Chinese Academy of Sciences designed to perform communication and navigation testing from a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) around the Moon with a 3rd satellite in Low Earth Orbit.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • March 14, 2024, 8:34 a.m.

Upper stage problem sent payload to wrong orbit; independent orbit determination results pending.


hitura-nobad • March 13, 2024, 2:41 p.m.

Liftoff confirmed


Cosmic_Penguin • March 11, 2024, 3:21 a.m.

Added launch per NOTAMs; launch vehicle and payload identities highly uncertain.


Long March 2C/YZ-1S

Family:
Configuration: C/YZ-1S

The Long March 2C is a family of expendable launch vehicles made and operated by China. It is a two stage launch vehicle with storable propellants, consisting of Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    42.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Launch Mass
    233.0 T
  • Thrust
    2962.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 2C/YZ-1S
  • Family
  • Variant
    C/YZ-1S
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 2C/YZ-1S
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    3850.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    1250.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    1400.0 kg

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 479 Failures: 14 Pending: 4

Agency Type:

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

Chinese spacecraft appear to reach lunar orbit despite launch setback

HELSINKI — Two Chinese spacecraft appear to have successfully reached their intended lunar orbits despite an initial launch issue that left them stranded in low Earth orbit. A slide attributed […]

SpaceNews

China appears to be trying to save stricken spacecraft from lunar limbo

Tracking data appears to show China is attempting to salvage spacecraft initially intended for the moon but left stranded by a rocket stage malfunction.

Arstechnica

Rocket Report: Starship heats up in third flight; Chinese lunar launch failure

"Frustration with Artemis’s high price tag is justifiable."

The National

Surprise Chinese lunar mission hit by launch anomaly

A pair of Chinese spacecraft, apparently intended for lunar orbit, have potentially been lost following an issue with a Long March rocket's upper stage on Wednesday.

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1)


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 1 hour ago
Starlink Group 6-68
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 9 hours ago
Starlink Group 9-11
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 4B
Success
2 days, 16 hours ago
Haiyang 4-01
Launch Complex 9 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Next generation Chinese ocean salinity measurements satellite to study ocean climatic changes and its effects on ecology and biological cycles.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 17 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-69
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 21 hours ago
Koreasat 6A
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

The Koreasat 6A spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, will have 20 transponders for fixed satellite services and six for TV broadcasting to repla…


Kinetica 1
Success
5 days, 10 hours ago
15 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch of 15 satellites on share-ride to SSO: * Shiyan 26 A/B/C * Jilin-1 High Resolution-05B * Jilin-1 Platform-02A-03 * Yunyao-1 31-36 * Xig…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 9-10
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2
Success
1 week ago
PIESAT-2 01-04
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

4 X-band synthetic-aperture radar Earth observation satellites for the Chinese Earth observation satellite company PIESAT.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-77
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes (Protosat-1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Launch of a yet to identified satellite to SSO for an undisclosed customer. The customer is highly likely to be Low Earth Orbit communication satelli…