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Two commercial Earth-imaging satellites launched by a Chinese Long March 2D booster Wednesday are flying in lower-than-planned orbits after an apparent rocket mishap, according to tracking data published by the U.S. military.
The two SuperView 1, or Gaojing 1, satellites are flying in egg-shaped orbits ranging from 133 miles (214 kilometers) to 325 miles (524 kilometers) in altitude at an inclination of 97.6 degrees.
The satellites would likely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within months in such a low orbit, and it was unclear late Wednesday whether the craft had enough propellant to raise their altitudes.
The high-resolution Earth-observing platforms were supposed to go into a near-circular orbit around 300 miles (500 kilometers) above the planet to begin their eight-year missions collecting imagery for Siwei Star Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., a government-owned entity.
The 1,234-pound-pound (560-kilogram) satellites lifted off at 0323 GMT Wednesday (10:23 p.m. EST Tuesday) from the Taiyuan space center in northern China’s Shanxi province on top of a 13-story Long March 2D rocket, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
The launch occurred at 11:23 a.m. Beijing time, marking China’s 22nd attempted space launch of the year, and the 21st rocket mission to reach orbit.
But the two-stage launcher did not put the SuperView 1 satellites into the expected orbit, raising concerns among outside observers that the Long March 2D ran into problems.
The mission also carried a small amateur radio satellites made by Beijing high school students.
The SuperView 1 satellites are designed to collect optical black-and-white imagery with a resolution of less than 20 inches (about 50 centimeters), making them the highest-resolution civilian Earth-observing satellites launched by China.
The satellites can capture imagery in nearly 7.5-mile-wide (12-kilometer) swaths, turning to observe multiple locations on a single pass, or record images of the same point from multiple angles, allowing processors on the ground to generate stereo three-dimensional images
.Artist’s concept of Beijing Space View’s planned constellation of optical and radar imaging satellites. The spacecraft illustrated at upper left is one of the SuperView 1 satellites launched Wednesday. Credit: Beijing Space View
Color images from the SuperView 1 satellites will have a resolution of around 6 feet, or 2 meters, according to information released by Beijing Space View Technology Ltd., which holds exclusive rights to distribute and sell SuperView 1 imagery globally for mapping, land use, urban planning, agricultural, oil and gas exploration, maritime, security, defense and intelligence applications, the company said.
Beijing Space View’s sister-company Siwei WorldView is a joint venture between Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology Co. Ltd., Navinfo and DigitalGlobe, the Colorado-based owner of the WorldView and GeoEye commercial Earth observation satellites.
The two distributors sell high-resolution imagery commercially in the Chinese market from China’s own civilian-operated remote sensing observatories and international satellites like the WorldView and GeoEye series, South Korea’s Kompsat family of spacecraft, Japan’s ALOS satellite, the Spanish-owned Deimos missions, and Kazakhstan’s KazEOSat 1 Earth observation platform.
The SuperView 1 satellites — if they can be salvaged and commissioned — would have given China its own commercial imaging spacecraft.
Two more SuperView satellites are scheduled to launch in mid-2017, and Siwei Star aims to have a fleet of more than two dozen Earth observation craft in orbit by 2022, including 16 SuperView-type optical satellites, four platforms with even better optical imaging capabilities, four X-band synthetic aperture radar satellites to observe through clouds and darkness, and multiple video and hyperspectral imaging spacecraft.
The next Delta 4 launch is planned for March from Cape Canaveral. It will be the mission to launch the Air Force's Wideband Global SATCOM 9 communications satellite into orbit using the same type of rocket used tonight -- the Medium+ vehicle with four strap-on solid boosters.
United Launch Alliance's next mission is just eight days away. That is when an Atlas 5 rocket will launch the commercial EchoStar 19 broadband satellite from the Cape. Launch is planned for Dec. 16 at 1:26 p.m. EST (1826 GMT).
12/04/2016 11:53 WEATHER: Favorable forecast for Wednesday's Delta 4 launch from Florida
CAPE CANAVERAL -- Air Force meteorologists are expecting good weather to launch the Delta 4 rocket with a military communications satellite Wednesday evening from Cape Canaveral. Read our ful story.
12/05/2016 20:23 PREVIEW: Upgraded satellite for communications among U.S. military forces to launch
CAPE CANAVERAL -- The backbone of the U.S. military's global communications network, relied upon by soldiers, ships, jets, aerial drones and allied nations around the world, will receive a new satellite with unprecedented capacity following its launch Wednesday atop a Delta 4 rocket. Read our launch preview story
Follow the Delta 4 rocket's ascent into orbit from Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad with the U.S. Air Force's WGS 8 communications satellite. Liftoff is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:53 p.m. EST. See the timeline
12/06/2016 15:08 LRR: Final readiness review clears Delta 4 and WGS 8 for launch
Sporting upgraded internal electronics to provide 90 percent more capacity than its sister-satellites, the U.S. military's eighth Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite will be launched into space Wednesday aboard a Delta 4 rocket.
The United Launch Alliance vehicle is scheduled for liftoff at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT) from Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral. The evening's launch window will remain open for 49 minutes.
If the launch slips to Thursday evening for some reason, the launch window moves one minute later.
Government and contractor managers convened the Launch Readiness Review today to assess preparations for the mission and granted approval to enter into the countdown on Wednesday as planned.
The mobile service tower will be rolled back from the 217-foot-tall rocket shortly before noon EST and fueling operations will commence at 2:30 p.m. EST.
We will have complete live play-by-play coverage of the count and launch on this page, as well as a webcast of liftoff
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text messages on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)
WGS 8 will join the growing constellation of WGS satellites in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth that provide global communications coverage to the U.S. military and allies.
The $426 million satellite furthers bolsters the primary communications network that provides "anytime, anywhere" connectivity to soldiers, ships, aircraft and unmanned drones.
"Warfighters use WGS for tactical communications, performing numerous military operations (and) humanitarian missions," said Thomas Becht, civilian deputy director and business manager for the Air Force's Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles.
Boeing is the builder of the WGS fleet and ULA has launched all of the craft to date. The final two in the series will be deployed by the end of 2018.
WGS 8 carries the first Wideband Digital Channelizer at the heart of its communications package, essentially doubles the available capacity as compared previous WGS satellites.
"It's an additional satellite, so 1/8th of the constellation, plus the satellite has nearly twice as much capacity as the previous ones," said Charlotte Gerhart, the Air Force's WGS 8 program manager.
This will be the 34th Delta 4 rocket launch since 2002 and the 28th Delta 4 to fly from Cape Canaveral.
The two-stage rocket was processed in the Horizontal Integration Facility, then rolled to the pad. It was hydraulically raised into the vertical position atop the launch table on Oct. 18.
A countdown dress rehearsal and fueling exercise occurred on Nov. 16 and the payload, already encapsulated in the rocket's five-meter nose cone, was transported to the pad for mating with the rocket on Nov. 21.
Weather forecasters give an 80 percent chance of acceptable launch conditions. Clouds too thick to safely fly through are the only concern threatening the weather rules.
12/07/2016 13:14
Tower rollback is underway at Complex 37 to reveal the 217-foot-tall Delta 4 rocket for tonight's launch.
12/07/2016 13:40 Gantry rolled back for launch
The 330-foot tall mobile service tower has been retracted at Cape Canaveral's pad 37B for this evening's launch of the Delta 4 rocket that will place the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite No. 8 into space for the Air Force.
The wheeled structure moved along rail tracks to its launch position about the length of a football field away from the rocket. The 9-million pound tower shielded the Delta from the elements during the its stay on the pad, provided workers 360-degree access to the various areas on the vehicle and was used to attach the solid rocket boosters and payload during the launch campaign. The tower is 90 feet wide and 40 feet deep.
Crews will spend the next couple of hours securing the complex for launch before leaving the danger area around the pad. All workers must be clear of the area for the start of hazardous operations in the countdown, which include fueling the Delta 4's first and second stages with supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants
Testing of communications links between the rocket and Air Force Eastern Range will occur after fueling is accomplished. Steering checks of the RS-68A engine and upper stage RL10B-2 powerplant are on tap in the last hour of the count.
A build-in hold is slated for T-minus 4 minutes, during which time teams will go through final polling to grant clearance to launch. The Delta 4 will transition to internal power as the count resumes, ordnance will be armed and the propellant tanks pressurized as clocks target the main engine ignition time at T-minus 5 seconds.
Liftoff remains scheduled for 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT).
"This launch will significantly enhance the WGS constellation, providing vital wideband communications anytime, anywhere to U.S. warfighters and our international partners through broadcast, multicast and point to point connections," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space.
"WGS 8 maintains the core capability to support X- and Ka-band communications simultaneously, while also increasing communication capacity."
The satellite will be operated in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above Earth to provide communications to all branches of the U.S. military and some allied nations.
"The demand for ever-increasing reliable and secure satellite communications has been at the forefront of the WGS mission," said Greaves. "WGS provides communication connectivity across all mission areas, including air, land and naval warfare."
12/07/2016 14:42
The rocket's guidance system is being turned on and tested for launch.
12/07/2016 14:53 L-6 hours
Now 6 hours till launch. The countdown is proceeding well and the launch team is not reporting any issues. A full weather briefing to mission managers will occur in about an hour.
12/07/2016 14:59 Launch events preview
12/07/2016 15:18 Photos: Delta 4 and WGS 8 ready to fly
Some shots of the vehicle taken a little while ago during tower rollback. Credit: Alex Polimeni
12/07/2016 15:43 Weather forecast still 80% GO
In the pre-fueling weather update, all conditions are favorable at Cape Canaveral for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket.
The odds of acceptable weather for an on-time launch this evening at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT) are 80 percent. A cloud thickness violation is the only concern, but those conditions are not expected until early tomorrow. The worry is if the clouds move in early.
12/07/2016 15:48
At the launch pad, clearing of personnel is underway in preparation for the start of fueling operations this afternoon and liftoff at 6:53 p.m. EST.
12/07/2016 15:53 Countdown in built-in hold
T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered a 15-minute-long built-in hold, a pre-planned pause designed to give the team time to catch up on any work that could be running behind schedule. Once the clocks resume ticking, the main countdown for this evening's launch operation will begin.
12/07/2016 16:04
The launch team is reporting on station for the start of fueling operations. Some 170,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen will be loaded today.
12/07/2016 16:07
Team is GO to begin fueling operations.
12/07/2016 16:08 Countdown has resumed
T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and counting. The team is ready for cryogenic fueling as the countdown is underway for today's opportunity to launch the Delta 4 rocket with the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite.
A final planned hold is scheduled into the countdown at the T-minus 4 minute mark.
Liftoff remains targeted for 6:53 p.m. EST.
12/07/2016 16:33 Fueling ops underway
A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system. This is the precursor to filling the vehicle with propellant.
12/07/2016 16:47 MST rollback gallery
A photo gallery of today's gantry rollback for the Delta 4 rocket launch is posted here.
(ULA pic)
12/07/2016 17:03 CBC LH2 tanking begins
The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished. Liquid hydrogen propellant will begin to flow into the Common Booster Core in "slow-fill" mode. That is sped up to "fast-fill" after a small portion of the tank is loaded.
Chilled to Minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit, the liquid hydrogen will be consumed by the RS-68A main engine along with liquid oxygen during the first four minutes of the launch.
12/07/2016 17:08 CBC LOX chilldown
And now the chilldown of the liquid oxygen system on Delta's Common Booster Core is starting. This preps the tank and pumping to guard against shock when the supercold oxidizer begins flowing into the rocket a short time from now. The first stage will be loaded with 40,000 gallons of supercold LOX.
12/07/2016 17:10
Liquid hydrogen flow is confirmed. About 110,000 gallons of LH2 will fill the rocket's first stage.
Still targeting 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT) for launch today.
12/07/2016 17:20 Upper stage LH2 chilldown
The launch team is preparing to start fueling the Delta 4 rocket's upper stage. And with that the "go" has been given to start the chilldown conditioning of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system.
12/07/2016 17:21
CBC liquid hydrogen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode.
12/07/2016 17:27 CBC LOX tanking
The CBC liquid oxygen chilldown is complete. "Slow-fill" mode is beginning to load a small percentage of the tank. The process then speeds up to the "fast-fill" mode until the tank is nearly full.
12/07/2016 17:33
SMC Commander @SMC_CC
A beautiful sight. #DeltaIV WGS-8 satellite on the pad and proceeding toward 1853ET launch today. @ulalaunch @45thSpaceWing @AF_SMC
3:26 PM - 7 Dec 2016
43 43 Retweets 67 67 likes
12/07/2016 17:38
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Tory Bruno ✔ @torybruno
Mission coin
10:19 PM - 6 Dec 2016
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12/07/2016 17:43
CBC liquid oxygen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode.
12/07/2016 17:43 Upper stage LOX chilldown
The "go" has been given for the upper stage liquid oxygen chilldown in advance of filling that tank.
12/07/2016 17:47 Upper stage LH2 tanking
After chilldown of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system, the clear was given for loading the rocket's tank with 14,000 gallons. The launch team is actively filling the upper stage's liquid hydrogen tank with propellant for the RL10 engine.
12/07/2016 17:53 L-3 hours
Now three hours till launch. The Delta 4 rocket is being loaded with supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as the countdown rolls on for launch at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT).
Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons.
The cryogenics are fed from the storage tanks through pipelines to the pad. For the Common Booster Core, the propellants are routed up to the launch table upon which the rocket sits. Tail service masts, the large box-like structures at the base of the vehicle, feed the oxygen and hydrogen to the booster via separate umbilicals.
The upper stage receives its cryos from the middle swing arm that extends from the Fixed Umbilical Tower to the front-side of the rocket.
12/07/2016 17:59 Upper stage LOX tanking
Chilldown of the upper stage liquid oxygen system is complete for loading the rocket's tank with 6,000 gallons of supercold LOX.
This is the last of the rocket's four cryogenic supplies to be filled in today's countdown to launch.
12/07/2016 18:12 CBC LH2 loaded
Fast-filling of the CBC liquid hydrogen tank has completed. After post-filling checks and valve tests, the tank will be placed in topping mode. The launch team will confirm the propellant is conditioned for flight.
12/07/2016 18:18 CBC LOX loaded
The CBC liquid oxygen loading just finished. The tank has been loaded with its supercold oxidizer that is chilled to Minus-298 degrees F. Topping will be completed as the count rolls on.
12/07/2016 18:52 Upper stage LOX loaded
Loading of the upper stage liquid oxygen tank has been accomplished.
12/07/2016 18:52 L-2 hours
Two hours and counting! Still targeting 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT) for launch tonight.
This is the 8th satellite for the Wideband Global SATCOM military communications network that began launching in 2007. WGS is the backbone of the Defense Department's information grid that spans the world.
12/07/2016 19:04 Upper stage LH2 loaded
The vehicle is fully fueled! Loading of the upper stage liquid hydrogen tank has been accomplished as fueling wraps up this evening at Complex 37.
The 900,000-pound rocket stands fueled and ready for launch at 6:53 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
12/07/2016 19:33 L-80 minutes
Now entering into the final 80 minutes of the countdown to launch of Delta 376 and the eighth Wideband Global SATCOM military communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force.
All is quiet in the launch control room, activities are on schedule and the team is not reporting any technical concerns.
12/07/2016 19:37
The flight slews and commanding tests for the vehicle steering systems are being performed. The Common Booster Core, the strap-on solid rocket motors and upper stage engine nozzle steering checks are being run through pre-launch test patterns.
12/07/2016 19:45
Steering checks are complete
12/07/2016 19:53 L-60 minutes
Now entering the final 60 minutes until the Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT). Here's a look at some stats about the mission. This will be:
The 376th Delta rocket launch since 1960
The 34th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
The 6th Medium+ (5,4) configuration to fly
The 52nd main engine from RS-68 family used
The 10th RS-68A main engine flown
The 52nd-53rd-54th-55th GEM-60 solid rocket motors flown
The 475th production RL10 engine to be launched
The 37th RL10B-2 engine launche
The 28th Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
The 36th launch from Pad B at Complex 37
The 19th use of Delta 4 by the Air Force
The 101st Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
The 114th United Launch Alliance mission since 2006
