At 11:26 on September 12, Long March 4B Launch Vehicle was launched at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. “One launch for three satellites” was successfully carried out. Five-meter Optical Satellite (Resource-1 02D Satellite) and BNU-1 Satellite and Taurus Satellite were put into solar synchronous orbit. The launch is the 310th launch of the Long March series launch vehicle and the 106th flight test of the Long March series launch vehicle developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.

▲ Long March 4B Launch vehicle soars into the sky

It is worth mentioning that as a piggyback satellite in orbit, Taurus Satellite was developed by Aerospace System Engineering Shanghai affiliated to Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. Its main task is to verify the satellite's De-orbit Membrane Sail module. The module is deployed in orbit with Taurus, starts after end-of-mission disposal sequence, deploys a large area of membrane sail surface, and uses the thin atmospheric drag of low earth orbit to accelerate the satellite orbit attenuation and help to remove space debris.

▲ Work animation of De-orbit Membrane Sail

Long March 4B Launch Vehicle is an atmospheric temperature liquid three-stage carrier vehicle developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, which is capable of launching a variety of satellites as well as single-satellite and multi-satellite required by different orbits. Its carrying capacity in 700-km sun-synchronous circular orbit  can reach 2.5 tons.

▲ Long March 4B Launch Vehicle stands on the tower and is ready to launch.

In recent years, this type of vehicle continuously adopts process optimization measures, which reduces the preparation time of the vehicle after entering the launch site to 17 effective working days, which is also the shortest preparation time of the launch site in the history of this type of vehicle.

▲ Rockets soar and dragons fly

The launch test team produced a badge named “Dragon-Head-Raisin”

Source: Official Microblog of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation