Shijian 6-2A

China (PR)

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 103

Also called: SJ-6C

Launch data:

Designation	29505 / 06046A
Launch date	23 Oct 2006
Launch site	Taiyuan
Launch vehicle	CZ-4B
Mission	space environment exploration
Sun-synchronous Earth orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	598 x 603 km
Inclination	97.7°
Period	96.6 min

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor	Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST)
Operator
Platform
Mass at launch	kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime	> 2 yrs

Description:

They will mainly replace the two Shijian-6 satellites launched on Sept. 9, 2004, to conduct exploration of space environment, radiation in space and their influence, parameters of physical environment of the space, and carry out other related space experiments.

Mission details:

China successfully launched two satellites for space environment exploration into space with a Long March-4B carrier rocket on Oct 24. They were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi province at 7:34 a.m. local time.
Satellite A was detached from the rocket after 11 minutes of take-off, followed by the detachment of Satellite B about one minute later. Both have successfully entered preset orbits.
The two satellites, which form Group-02 of Shijian (practice)-6 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 designed life of more than two years.

Ref.: #7, #119, #228 - update: 03.05.12