Issue 2

China conducts 22d launch of 2020; new Gaufen Earth observation satellite on orbit

• 6 Aug: Long March 2D launched from Jiuquan (Gobi Desert)
• Gaofen 9 payload: capable of 1 meter resolution imagery
• 4x Gaofen 9 satellites now operational;
• Gaufen 9 satellites are one component of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS).

• Ride-along: Tsinghua gravity/atmosphere scientific satellite (Q-SAT)
• This is the 50th Long March 2D launch since the rocket debuted in 1992
• LM 2D is a proven launch vehicle; only one partial failure (2016)

China has carried out 22 launches in 2020, including a test flight of the Long March 5B for space-station missions and the launch of the Tianwen-1 Mars mission. Three of the 22 launches ended in failure.

The country led the world in launches in 2018 and 2019, launching 39 and 34 times respectively. China’s goal for 2020 is around 40 launches, with commercial launch service providers like Expace and Galactic Energy to carry out their own missions.