NEWS
Long March 2D Carrier Rocket Successfully Launches Experimental Satellite-31 SAST
发布时间：
2025-10-27 15:57
At 18:00 on October 13, 2025, the Long March 2D Carrier Rocket successfully sent the Experimental Satellite-31 into the predetermined orbit at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, marking the full success of the launch. Both the satellite and the rocket were developed under the overall leadership of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The satellite is mainly used for conducting verification of new-type optical imaging technology.
For this mission, a 4-meter fairing was used for the rocket for the first time at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. To this end, SAST implemented tailored adaptations to the transportation and encapsulation processes of the fairing and the tower operations, taking into account the specific features of the larger fairing as well as the constraints of the facilities and gantry at the launch site. Meticulous contingency plans were also formulated to ensure the smooth execution of this mission.
Amidst the challenge of managing multiple parallel operations at the site, SAST adopted a rigorous approach to guarantee the safety and reliability of the vehicle to the highest level by meticulously comparing the test data and re-examining various risk points of the rocket.
This marks the 101th launch of the Long March 2D Carrier Rocket, the 248thof the Long March series carrier rockets under the overall leadership of SAST, and the 599th of the Long March series carrier rockets.
Facing significant challenges including a heavy workload, tight schedule, and demanding technical requirements, SAST adopted a working principle of systematic planning and multi-line collaboration. During the satellite assembly phase, SAST take measures to ensure seamless integration of all stages by implementing refined operational process management and optimizing the overall assembly flow. During the whole-satellite testing phase, it focused on the optimization of the testing processes by eliminating redundant procedures, and built a multi-dimensional test item matrix. This has not only meet all the testing requirements but also achieved the simultaneous improvement of testing quality and product reliability.
Before delivery, a strict quality confirmation and traceability system was implemented at SAST. Through multi-layered quality controls, eg., photos of physical products taken for archiving for each operation, real-time upload of test data, double-post review, and cyclic cross-check among multiple post, SAST has generated altogether 244 confirmation forms, realizing full-coverage and full-process monitoring of 12 key quality control points. SAST also fully utilized technical means such as data comparison and trend curve analysis to accurately perceive and judge the satellite’s health status, ensuring the satellite was delivered in a "zero hidden peril" state and achieving the goal of "zero quality issue" before it was sent into the orbit.
