Beidou 11 (BD-2 G5)

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 179

Launch data: Designation  38091 / 12008A Launch date  24 Feb 2012 - 16:12 UT Launch site  Xichang, LC-2 Launch vehicle  CZ-3C Mission  Military: Navigation/GPS Geostationary orbit on Mar 05.21: Perigee / Apogee  35776 x 35799 km Eccentricity  2,73E-04 Inclination  1.87 deg Period  1436.15 min

Artist's concept of a Beidou satellite in orbit. Credit: CAST

Spacecraft data: Prime manufacturer  CAST Platform  DFH-3 bus Operator  Chinese Defense Ministry Mass at launch  2200 kg (full) Dry Mass  1100 kg Basic shape  Box + 2 panels Dimension (m)   Equipment   Solar array  2 deployable solar arrays Stabilization   Propulsion   DC power   Design lifetime  > million years (active: 8 yrs)

Beidou testing at Xichang

Location:

Description:

• BD 2 (Beidou 2) is a chinese satellite navigation system, which in contrast to GPS and GLONASS, uses both geostationary satellites and satellites in intermediate orbit.
• This series, also called "Compass-G" is the geostationary constellation.
• China activated the Beidou network Dec. 27 on a trial basis. Its 10 operational satellites currently provide services over the Asia-Pacific region, including most of China. The coverage zone stretches from the southern border of Russia to Australia, and from India in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.
• The system has been used in transportation, weather forecasting, marine fisheries, hydrological monitoring, and mapping, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
  Global coverage will be possible by 2020 with a constellation of 35 satellites.
• Part of Compass constellation.

Mission details:

• A Long March 3C rocket lifted off at 1612 GMT (11:12 a.m. EST) on Feb 24, 2012 from the Xichang space base in southwest China's Sichuan province. It was 12:12 a.m. Saturday at the launch site, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
• The 18-story launcher, boosted by twin strap-on engines, flew east from Xichang and deployed the Beidou payload in an oval-shaped geosynchronous transfer orbit stretching more than 22,300 miles above Earth at its furthest point.
• Built by the China Academy of Space Technology, the spacecraft will maneuver itself to a circular orbit over the equator, where it will join the Beidou fleet.
• The newest spacecraft is the 11th operational Beidou satellite launched by China since 2007. It is the fifth craft to be launched into geosynchronous orbit over the equator, while other satellites operate in medium-altitude orbits and inclined flight paths to cover polar regions.
• The navigation satellite entered geostationary orbit over 58.7E on Mar 1, 2012. On Mar 17 the orbit was 35777 x 35796 km x 1.9 deg at 58.6E.