Launch News APStar 7, Long March 3B, March 31, 2012

[Cosmic Penguin]

A new communication satellite for a Hong Kong based satellite operator will be launched on the largest Chinese rocket available to serve the Asia-Pacific region. The APStar 7 satellite, which will be operated by the APT Satellite Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong, is scheduled to launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in south-western China on Saturday evening local time.

Launch location:

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xichang_Satellite_Launch_Center"]Xichang Satellite Launch Center[/ame] Launch pad no. 2 28° 14'43.8"N, 102° 1'37.2"E

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=6}Launch times

Time Zone|

Beijing / UTC+8 ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EDT ​

|

Los Angeles / PDT ​

Launch time: ​

|

18:25:03​

|

10:25:03​

|

06:25:03​

|

03:25:03​

on: ​

|

Mar. 31, 2012​

|

Mar. 31, 2012​

|

Mar. 31, 2012​

|

Mar. 31, 2012​

{colsp=6}

[highlight][eventTimer]2012-03-31 10:25:03?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] APStar 7 Launch[/highlight]​

[/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

• Most probably none (as with the standards of Chinese aerospace... :shifty. If there is any, I will post here immediately.

PAYLOAD

APStar 7 communication satellite:

Mission Summary

APSTAR-7 is an advanced telecommunications satellite based on Spacebus 4000 C2 of Thales Alenia Space France (TASF) with a lift-off mass of 5054kg and a design lifetime over 15 years. The satellite has 56 operational transponders (28 in C-band and 28 in Ku-band) onboard, and will replace the current APSTAR-2R satellite at 76.5°East Longitude.

APSTAR-7 satellite’s C-band global beam covers Asia, Africa, Australia and part of Europe and its multiple Ku-band beams, including China Beam, Middle East & North Africa Beam, Africa Beam and a Steerable Spot Beam are able to provide in-beam and cross-beam broadcast and telecommunication services.

APT Satellite Company Limited is one of the leading satellite operators in the Asia Pacific region. Its five APSTAR satellites fleet provides quality and “one-stop-shop” broadcast and telecommunications services covering about 75% of the world’s population.

Thales Alenia Space France (TASF) is one of the leading satellite manufacturers in the world. APSTAR-7 is the 7th TASF-manufactured satellite launched by Long March launch vehicle.

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter|Value

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|76.5° East

Coverage:​

|Eastern and southern Asia, Middle East, most of Africa, Australia, South Europe

ApA at separation:​

|50281 km

PeA at separation:​

|200 km

Inc at separation:​

|27.4°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Eutelsat W3C​

Customer:​

|

• APT Satellite Holdings Ltd.
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Thales Alenia Space
  

Platform:​

|

• Spacebus 4000C2

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 5054 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions (stowed):​

|

• ?

Batteries:​

|

• ?

Primary Payload:​

|

• 28 C-band transponders
• 28 Ku-band transponders

Life time:​

|

• 15 years

Coverage areas:​

|

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Characteristics

|[table="head"]{colsp=2}

Long March 3B​

Prime contractor:​

|

• China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

Height:​

| 56.3 m with upper stage and payload fairing

Diameter:​

| max 3.35 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 458.97 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| ~5.5 tonnes at GTO

Boosters (x4):​

|

• 1 X YF-25 engine
• Length 15.326 m
• Propellant mass 41.5 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
• Thrust at sea level 74.04 tonnes of force
• Specific Impulse 2556.2 N-s/kg (at sea level)

1st stage:​

|

• 1 X YF-21C engine
• Length 23.272 m
• Propellant mass 186.6 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
• Thrust at sea level 296.16 tonnes of force
• Specific Impulse 2556.2 N-s/kg (at sea level)

2nd stage:​

|

• 1 X YF-24E engine
• Length 9.943 m
• Propellant mass 49.605 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
• Thrust in vacuum 74.2 tonnes of force
• Specific Impulse 2922.57 N-s/kg (in vacuum)

3rd stage:​

|

• 2 X YF-75 engine
• Length 12.375 m
• Propellant mass 18.193 tonnes (LH2 and LOX)
• Thrust in vacuum 15.7 tonnes of force
• Specific Impulse 4312 N-s/kg (in vacuum)

Payload Fairing:​

|

• Diameter 4.2 m
• Length 9.56 m

[/table]
[/table]

The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2012.html#rate:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
CZ-3B/3C         24    26    .92  .89     12    8/31/09  1996-

APStar 7 Ascent Profile

The first two stages and the four boosters pushes the third stage, adapter system and APStar 7 into a 28.5° inclination suborbital trajectory.

Immediately after the separation of the second stage booster, the third stage follows a two-burn injection profile, first to a low Earth orbit, then to the final geosynchronous transfer orbit. Separation of the satellite will come 25 minutes after launch.

APStar 7 Ascent Timeline

[TABLE="head"]Event|Time rel lift-off|Time Beijing|Time UTC|Comment
Lift-off|00:00:00|18:25:03|10:25:03|
Initiation of roll program|00:00:11|18:25:14|10:25:14|
Booster Separation|00:02:21|18:27:24|10:27:24|
1st/2nd Stage Separation|00:02:39|18:27:42|10:27:42|
Payload Fairing Separation|00:03:55|18:28:58|10:28:58|
2nd/3rd Stage Separation/1st Burn Ignition|00:05:44|18:30:47|10:30:47|
1st Burn Shutdown|00:10:12|18:35:15|10:35:15|1st Burn's Duration 00:04:28
2nd Burn Ignition|00:20:56|18:45:59|10:45:59|
2nd Burn Shutdown|00:24:02|18:49:05|10:49:05|2nd Burn's Duration 00:03:06
Spacecraft Separation|00:25:42|18:50:45|10:50:45|
[/TABLE]

Photos of the preparations for the launch

References
http://cn.cgwic.com/APSTAR-7/
http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-8616-1-1.html
http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/Download/manual/
http://www.apstar.com/apt_apstar/APSTAR VII.asp
http://www.thalesgroup.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Just under 75 minutes to launch, and the access platforms at the pad have already been retracted...

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Just in, the launch took place at 10:27 UTC, and everything went fine! My report will come later today.:thumbup:

NASASpaceflight.com article

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Right, photos first....

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

A (short) news report video here, including the launch itself.

The satellite was put into a 209 x 50419 km x 27.4 degree inclination orbit, very close to the originally planned orbit.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Some not usually seen photos of Chinese hardware...

There's nothing called "not enough rocket porn"....

 

[N_Molson]

The liquid strapon boosters really give a distinctive look to that rocket