At 7:45 on October 16, 2024, the Long March 4C launch vehicle was launched at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, successfully deploying Gaofen-12 05 satellite into the destination orbit, signaling a complete success of the launch mission. 

Keeping an empty cup mentality to do the work thoroughly and meticulously

The Long March 4C launch vehicle executing this launch mission is a level 3 carrier rocket with liquid propellant of normal temperature developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). It has excellent performance and a wide range of applications. The Long March 4C launch vehicle is capable of implementing flexible launch schemes tailored to different types of satellites, allowing it to launch various types of satellites for different orbits. It can carry out single satellite launches or simultaneous launches of multiple satellites, with a payload capacity of 3 tons for deploying satellites into a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.

Throughout the execution of this mission, multiple tasks were carried out at the launch site simultaneously, with the testing status shifting between various models.

So far, Long March 4 models have successfully completed four launch missions in 2024. All team members are encouraged to maintain an empty cup mentality to avoid becoming complacent after a series of successes. Simultaneously, the test team has also implemented detailed quality assurance procedures and strengthened the implementation of various management measures, such as “assurance-based planning”, “digital management system”, “daily review meetings”, and “closure of to-do items” to ensure that every step is documented and every task is confirmed, thereby completing the work more meticulously, ensuring comprehensive ground validation and preventing any problems during the launch.

This launch mission is the 108^th launch of Long March 4 series of launch vehicles, the 221^st launch of the Long March series of launch vehicles developed by SAST, and the 540^th launch of Long March series of launch vehicles. 

Adhering to a goal-oriented approach, ensuring success with a cautious attitude

The Gaofen-12 05 satellite, which is developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is primarily used in areas such as land surveys, urban planning, land rights confirmation, road network design, crop yield estimation, and disaster prevention and reduction.

Adhering to a goal-oriented approach, the satellite development team rigorously enforces the quality assurance system at the launch site. They have defined the responsibility structure, workflow, and specific projects related to quality assurance at the launch site, and planned and completed 20 quality assurance projects, 52 quality assurance forms, and 309 sets of on-site record sheets. These measures have ensured that risks remain controllable and that quality and safety are effectively secured. Keeping in mind a sense of responsibility characterized by “always being concerned and attentive to every detail”, the team breaks down and assigns tasks through pre-shift meetings, coordinates and develops plans during special meetings, and confirms the completion of work at summary meetings. Through solid and steady steps, the team rigorously executes all tasks, ensuring that their work is completed with high quality and efficiency.

During the execution of the test tasks, the team treats each task as the first task. Before operations, they collectively study relevant documents. During testing, they carefully compare data. After confirmation, they meticulously fill out forms. The launch site development record for Gaofen-12 05 satellite includes over 50 data package documents, more than 200 launch procedures, and over 4,000 image records. All of this is the result of the wisdom and hard work invested by the test team members.