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China will launch the first rocket for
commercial missions in the first half of 2019, according to the China Aerospace
Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The launch vehicle, Jielong
(Smart Dragon) No.-1, will take on China's first commercial mission.
China plans to develop two types of rockets for commercial purposes, the
Jielong series and the Tenglong series, according to Tang Yagang, president
of Chinarocket Co. Ltd. under the CASC.
The Jielong series are mainly solid propellant rockets which rely less on the
launch facilities and are flexible and the Tenglong series are mainly
liquid propellant rockets with larger payload capacity. There no
information to the Tenglong yet. It could be that there is an affinity to
the Naga-L (Dragon).
The Smart Dragon-1 is a four stage solid-fueled launch vehicle equipped with
a reaction control system on the front cone of the launch vehicle. The launcher
has a total length of 19.5 meters, a diameter of 1.2 meters and a takeoff weight
of 23.1 tonnes.
Unusually for satellite launch vehicles, the payload volume is located between
the third and fourth stages, with the fourth stage motor and all payloads installed
in invert position during launch.
After separation of the third stage, the fourth stage is then flipped over for
the remainder of the mission.
Smart Dragon-1 can launch a 200 kg payload to a 500 km altitude Sun-synchronous
Orbit (SSO), or 150 kg to a 700 km high SSO. Two types of payload envelopes
are provided: 1.1 meters diameter, 1.5 meters length or 1.4 meters diameter,
2.0 meters in length.
2019, Oct. 21 --ChinaRocket, a
commercial space wing of the country's leading rocket-maker China Academy of
Launch Vehicle Technology, has unveiled its new generation of commercial
carrier rockets. The new rocket family comprises a cluster of solid fuelled
rockets codenamed the Smart Dragon (SD) family, and a
Tenglong liquid-propellant rocket.
2019, Aug. 17
-- On this day, the first and successful launch took place with 3 satellites
on board.
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