More Internet? [LM-3B/E Y97]
A Long March 3B/E blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center headed to geosynchronus transfer orbit.
On August 1st, at 21:14 pm China Standard Time, or 13:14 pm Universal Coordinated Time, a Long March 3B/E lifted off from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Onboard the rocket was the second ‘Internet high-orbit satellite’ (Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui, WHG) satellite.
According to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Long March 3B/E flew successfully to geosynchronous transfer orbit and released the WHG-02 spacecraft.
Not much is known about the WHG-02 satellite beyond that it was developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology. Based on the first WHG satellite’s activity after launch, WHG-02 will likely maneuver from its initial transfer orbit to a geosynchronous orbit.
The operator of the two WHG satellites has not yet been revealed along with their purpose, it has been theorized that they may be part of a network of higher-orbit connections for the GuoWang constellation. If the satellites are part of plans for GuoWang, the WHG satellites will be operated by the state-owned China Satellite Network Group.
Based on the Long March 3B/E’s 5,500-kilogram payload capacity to geostationary transfer orbit, WHG-02 could be based on the China Academy of Space Technology’s DFH-4 Series platform. The DFH-4 platforms can weigh between 3,800 and 7,000 kilograms.
This mission, denoted as Y97, was the fourth launch for the Long March 3B/E this year, and the thirty-fourth launch from China this year. It was also the 529th launch of a Long March rocket.
If China is still aiming to achieve 100 launches overall in 2024, 66 more launch missions would need to occur in the next five months. To reach this a launch would need to occur every 2.3 days.
What is the Long March 3B/E?
This section is for those less familiar with China's Long March series of launch vehicles.
The Long March 3B/E is a three-stage launch vehicle that burns Dinitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine in its first two stages, with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the third stage. The launch vehicle is manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
The Long March 3B/E can place up to 11,500 kilograms into low Earth orbit, 7,100 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit, 5,500 kilograms into geostationary transfer orbit, or 2,000 kilograms directly into geostationary orbit.
The first stage is powered by four YF-21C engines that burn Dinitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine, while the first stage boosters are powered by one YF-25 engine each that burn Dinitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine. The second stage is powered by one YF-22E and four YF-23F vernier engines that burn Dinitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine. The third stage is powered by two YF-75 engines that burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
On the launch pad, the Long March 3B/E is 56.3 meters tall and weighs 458,970 kilograms when fully fuelled.