Long March 4B launches Shi Jian-6 duo, 2010 Oct 6th.

[EarthlingX]

www.nasaspaceflight.com : Long March 4B launches Shi Jian-6 duo – China aiming for record year

October 6th, 2010

by Rui C. Barbosa

The Chinese are continuing to push towards a record year for launches, as a Long March 4B (CZ-4B Chang Zheng-4B) lofted the Shi Jian-6 Group-04 satellites (SJ-6G Shi Jian-6G and SJ-6H Shi Jian-6H) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 00:49 UTC, Wednesday.

As with previous missions for this series of satellite, the two new satellites are tasked with probing the space environment, along with conducting other related space experiments. The Shi Jian-6 Group-04 satellites are likely to replace the Shi Jian-6 Group-03 spacecraft, which were launched on October 25, 2008 – also from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

Previous satellites were built by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology and Dongfanghong Satellite Company under subcontract to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

According to sources, the mission of the SJ-6 Shi Jian-6 satellites also includes “electronic intelligence technology tests”.

This was the 133rd successful Chinese orbital launch, the 133nd launch of a Chang Zheng launch vehicle, the 31st successful orbital launch from Taiyuan (the second in 2010) and the 11th orbital launch in 2010.

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