Tiankun-1 (TK-1)

Launch data: Designation  42061 / 17012A Launch date  02 Mar 2017 - 23:53 UT Launch site  Jiuquan, SLS-E2 Launch vehicle  Kaituozhe-2 (KT-2) Mission  Gov: Earth observation/Technology Sun-Synchronous LEO orbit: Perigee / Apogee  373 x 404 km Eccentricity  1,63E-03 Inclination   96.9° Period  92.4 min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• TK-1 is a small Chinese polar satellite designed to be used for remote sensing, telecommunications and experiments in minisatellite-based technologies.

Mission details:

• On Mar 2, 2017 China′s CASIC missile agency launched the KT-2, a new orbital launch vehicle developed by CASIC′s 4th Academy.
  It placed a small satellite, Tiankun-1, in orbit.
• Tiankun 1, built by the CASIC 2nd Academy (CCMETA), is a test of a new satellite bus and probably has a mass of a few hundred kg.
• Note: The only large missile developed previously by CASIC was the DF-21 and its JL-1 submarine sibling; the KT-1 and KZ-1 launch vehicles are thought to be based on the DF-21. It has been suggested that KT-2 is based on the DF-31 missile which was originally developed by CASIC′s rival CALT which built the CZ-11 rocket based on that missile. This is a bit strange, but would be similar to the way China′s leaders made Beijing′s CALT and the Shanghai bureau develop the rival-but-similar CZ-2 and FB-1 launch vehicles in the 1970s.

External links:

• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking