6 July 2021: The Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched their fifth Tianlian 1 series tracking data and relay communications satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in central China. Launch Video.
– The carrier rocket placed Tianlian 1-05, into a 200×41,991 km Geostationary Transfer Orbit at an inclination of 17.5°. The Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) did not announce what location above Earth the spacecraft would be placed, however recent observations show the satellite over the African west coast at 10.5° east longitude.
– Tianlian 1-05 is the 5th in China’s series of Tianlian Tracking Data Relay Satellites, a series of communications satellites placed in geostationary orbit, operating together to provide communications coverage for Chinese spacecraft. Watch Deep Dive Podcast.
– The first Tianlian spacecraft, Tianlian 1-01 was launched from Xichang aboard a Long March 3C on April 25 2008, and was placed in Geostationary orbit at 77 degrees East. The second spacecraft, Tianlian 1-02, launched in 2011.
– In 2012, the Tianlian constellation achieved global coverage with the launch of the third spacecraft, Tianlian 1-03, on July 25, 2012. A fourth satellite, Tianlian 1-04, launched from Xichang aboard a Long March 3C/E on November 22, 2016.
– Tianlian 1-05, like it’s four predecessors, is based off the Dongfanghong-3A (DFH-3A) satellite bus, which also served as the base spacecraft for the Chinese Chang’e 1 and Chang’e 2 lunar orbital missions.
– Tianlian 1-05 is possibly the last time we will see the DFH-3 satellite bus launched. With development starting in 1986, DFH-3 has been a workhorse for decades.
– China is also in the process of assembling a constellation of second generation Tianlian satellites, known as the Tianlian 2 constellation, which began with the launch of Tianlian 2-01 on 31 March 2019.
– The Tianlian 2 series is based on the DFH-4 bus and represents a leap in mission planning and systems management over the Tianlian 1 series. The agency has yet to confirm when the second Tianlian 2 satellite will be launched. Open sources indicate the Tianlian 2-02 and Tianlian 2-03 will be deployed soon.
– Compared with the first-generation model, Tianlian 2 satellites feature stronger capabilities, heavier carrying capacity and longer life spans, according to Zhao Hong, chief designer of the Tianlian 2-01. “Because of its newly developed antennas, the data transmission speed of the new-generation type is twice that of the first generation,” Zhao said. Tianlian 2 satellites can serve more spacecraft and have a larger operational range, he added.
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