BeiDou-2 (IGSO-2)=CZ-3A-17.12.10 23:20 ДМВ - Сичан

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23453.msg672799#msg672799

Lift-off took place at 2020UTC.
Launch success!
http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/13516187.html

[Liss]

Ага :-)
"Жэньминь жибао" назвала продолжительность выведения (832.1 сек) и отметила рекордный темп пусков -- 15 в 2010 -- соответствующий уровню США и (!) России. Это что, заявка на будущее мировое первенство?

[Salo]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-12/18/c_13654117.htm

China launches seventh orbiter for indigenous global satellite navigation system
English.news.cn   2010-12-18 05:58:51

XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched an orbiter into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province at 4:20 a.m. Beijing Time Saturday.

It was the seventh orbiter that China has launched for its independent satellite navigation and positioning network, also known as Beidou, or Compass system.

It is the 136th flight for the country's Long March series of rockets.

The new satellite, launched on a Long March-3A carrier rocket,joins six other satellites already in orbit to form a network, which will eventually consist of more than 30 satellites.

China started building its own satellite navigation system to end its dependence upon the U.S. GPS system in 2000, when it sent two orbiters as a double-satellite experimental positioning system.

Beidou, as the system is called, is designed to provide navigation, time and short message services in the Asia and Pacific region before 2012 and will be capable of providing global navigation services by 2020.

[Salo]

http://news.sohu.com/20101218/n278371876.shtml

[Salo]

Видео:
http://www.beidou.gov.cn/2010/12/18/201012187b3ffadf1a274649824ee9f4b0825c9c.html

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23453.msg672921#msg672921

According to US observations at 0503UTC on December 18, the spacecraft orbit was:
191.9km x  35405.5km inclined 54.63°                      

[Salo]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-12/18/c_13654117.htm

[Liss]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23453.msg672921#msg672921

According to US observations at 0503UTC on December 18, the spacecraft orbit was:
191.9km x  35405.5km inclined 54.63°                      

Есть два набора элементов. Расчет по второму дает четверку параметров:
* наклонение -- 54.63°
* минимальная высота -- 210.6 км;
* максимальная высота -- 35389 км;
* период обращения -- 623.1 мин.

[Salo]

Ещё видео:
http://video.sina.com.cn/p/news/c/v/2010-12-18/092461212471.html

[Salo]

Ещё фото:
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/tp/hd/2010/12-18/19073.shtml

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23453.msg673204#msg673204

From CCTV video, representations of:
- First stage separation over Western Guangxi province
- Fairing separation over South China Sea
- Second stage separation over South China Sea

Since this went to a 55 deg orbit, did the upper stage only perform one burn?

 - Ed Kyle

Yes, only one burn:
The launch video shows a monitor screen with a flight velocity versus flight time diagram indicating a single 3rd stage burn (which I have underlined in red) followed by a coast phase (underlined in green). See screenshot below:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23453.msg673252#msg673252

From another video, we have the following flight sequence:
(nominal values presumably in brackets, observed values presumably after the = sign)

Stage 2/stage 3 separation (271.4) = 267.4s
Stage 3 shutdown (740.4) = 730.9s
Velocity adjustment ending (760.6) = 752.1s
Spacecraft LV separation (840.6) = 832.1s (from people.com.cn early release)

This could mean that the 3rd stage burn was 5.5 s shorter than the nominal duration of 469 s

[Salo]

http://www.ngzb.com.cn/read.php?tid=263893