Jiuquan Launch Area 4
40°57′30″N 100°17′29″E / 40.9582°N 100.2913°E
 Long March 2D in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Launch site | Jiuquan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Short name | LA-4 (SLS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total launches | 132 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch pad(s) | Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Launch Area 4 (LA-4), also known as the South Launch Site or SLS, and LC-43, is the only active Long March launch complex at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[1][2]
It consists of two launch pads: SLS-1 / 921 (LC-43/91)[3] and SLS-2 / 603 (LC-43/94).[3]
SLS-1 has been the launch site for all missions conducted as part of the Shenzhou programme, including the first Chinese crewed spaceflight, Shenzhou 5. Since it was activated in 1999; Long March 2C, Long March 2D, Long March 2F, Long March 4C and Long March 11 rockets have launched from LA-4. The first spacecraft to be launched from the site was Shenzhou 1, atop a Long March 2F, on 19 November 1999.[4]
SLS-2 became operational in 2003,[5] and has since been used for most uncrewed launches from Jiuquan. As of March 2010, twenty launches have been made from the complex. The most recent launch from the site was from SLS-2 on 5 March 2010, when the Long March 4C made its first flight from the complex, carrying the Yaogan 9 satellite.[1] Long March 4 launches had previously only been conducted from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Barbosa, Rui C (5 March 2010). "China launch YaoGan Weixing-9, announce increase in vehicle production". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Jiuquan". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 13 March 2002. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ a b Barbosa, Rui C. (6 August 2020). "Chinese Long March 2D's 50th launch lofts latest Gaofen-9 satellite". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
The LC-43 launch complex, also known as the South Launch Site (SLS) is equipped with two launch pads: 91 and 94. Launch Pad 91 is used for the manned program for the launch of the Long March-2F launch vehicle (Shenzhou and Tiangong). Launch Pad 94 is used for uncrewed orbital launches by the Long March-2C, Long March-2D and Long March-4C launch vehicles.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Jiuquan SLS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Jiuquan SLS-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 5 March 2010.