Two satellites for space environment exploration were
successfully launched by China into space Tuesday morning being
transported by a Long March-4B carrier rocket.?
???
They were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in
north China's
Shanxi Province at 7:34 AM.
???
Satellite A was detached from the carrier rocket 11 minutes after
launch with Satellite B following approximately one minute later.
Both successfully entered preset orbits.
???
The two satellites, which form Group-02 of Shijian (practice)-VI
satellites, were manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of
Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and DFH (Dongfanghong or The East is
Red) Satellite Co. Ltd. respectively. Both have a design life of
over two years.
???
The main objective for these latest satellites is to replace the
two Shijian-VI satellites launched in September, 2004, to undertake
exploration of space environment, to study the influence of
radiation in space, the parameters of the physical environment and
to carry out related experiments.
???
The carrier rocket used in Tuesday's launch was developed and
manufactured by the SAST. The launch marked the 92nd flight of the
Long March series of carrier rockets and the 50th consecutive
successful launch of the rockets since October 1996.
???
In 1981 China became only the fourth country in the world equipped
to launch more than one satellite at the same time with just one
carrier rocket.?
(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2006)
