At 19:57 on June 29, 2024, at station 201 of the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, the "Long March 7A" Yao-8 carrier rocket carried the Zhongxing-3A communication satellite to ignite and launch, sending the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The Zhongxing-3A large high-orbit communication satellite was developed by the Communication and Navigation Department of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to provide voice, data, radio and television transmission services.
The Long March 7A (LM-7A) is a medium-sized three-stage semi-cryogenic liquid launch vehicle developed by the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), mainly used for medium- and high-orbit launch missions. The maximum height of the arrow is 60.7 meters (with a diameter of 3.7 meters fairing), the diameter of the booster is 2.25 meters, the diameter of the first and second stages of the core is 3.35 meters, the diameter of the third stage of the core is 3 meters, the take-off mass is about 573 tons, the take-off thrust is 727 tons, and the capacity of its geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) is not less than 7 tons. Since the "Long March 7A" Yao-2 (second launch), the rocket has won six consecutive victories.
The rocket adopts the newly developed satellite bracket to further increase the longitudinal usable envelope space of the fairing and improve the mission adaptability of the rocket. Optimize the design to improve the accuracy and anti-interference ability of the inertial group; Implement reliability growth measures to improve the flight reliability of rockets; Further streamlining of the launch site process. This rocket uses a fairing with a diameter of 4.2 meters, and the height of the whole rocket is 60.13 meters.
This launch is the first launch of the Long March 7A launch vehicle in 2024, the fifth launch from the Wenchang launch site, the 30th launch from China and the 124th launch in the world. At the same time, this launch is the seventh launch of the "Long March" series of new-generation carrier rockets this year, and the 15th launch of the "Long March-7" series of carrier rockets.
Author: Mulan Xingzhou