Long March 5 returns to flight
Posted: Tue, Dec 31, 2019, 1:43 PM ET (1843 GMT)
China's Long March 5 returned to flight early Dec. 27. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 7:45 am EST (1245 GMT), deploying the Shijian-20 experimental communications satellite into orbit 40 minutes later. The launch was the first for the heavy-lift rocket since a July 2017 launch failure. The rocket is a critical element of China's future space plans, with launches scheduled in mid-2020 of a Mars orbiter and lander, followed in late 2020 by a lunar sample return mission. A variant of the Long March 5 needed for launching space station modules will also be tested next year.
China's Long March 5 returned to flight early Dec. 27. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 7:45 am EST (1245 GMT), deploying the Shijian-20 experimental communications satellite into orbit 40 minutes later. The launch was the first for the heavy-lift rocket since a July 2017 launch failure. The rocket is a critical element of China's future space plans, with launches scheduled in mid-2020 of a Mars orbiter and lander, followed in late 2020 by a lunar sample return mission. A variant of the Long March 5 needed for launching space station modules will also be tested next year.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, November 7
SES Feels Pinch Of Government Shutdown
Aviation Week — 7:04 am ET (1204 GMT) SES Reports Some Contract Delays from US Shutdown in Q3 Results
ViaSatellite — 7:04 am ET (1204 GMT) SES performance scarred by US budget standoff
Luxembourg Times — 7:03 am ET (1203 GMT) BT strikes satellite broadband deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink
The Daily Telegraph — 7:01 am ET (1201 GMT) Elon Musk's Starlink to start services in India
AFP — 7:00 am ET (1200 GMT) |
