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China Aerospace CorporationLong March 2C/SDLaunch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Iridium MFS 1 & 2
Launched
September 1, 1997
Summary
Iridium MFS 1 & 2 launched on a China Aerospace Corporation Long March 2C/SD from Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on September 1, 1997. It was China Aerospace Corporation's 17th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 4,168th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Long March 2C/SD flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Iridium MFS 1, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 222 × 645 km orbit inclined 86.2°. 6 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 1st Long March 2C/SD flightChina Aerospace Corporation's 17th launch4th this yearhumanity's 4,168th orbital launch attempt50th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Iridium MFS 1 · NORAD 24925 · 1997-048 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 6 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- DUMMY MASS 1
- Object ID
- 1997-048A
- Epoch
- 1997-09-01 22:45:51 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.46706106 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0310589
- Inclination
- 86.2228°
- Ascending node
- 126.3553°
- Arg. of perigee
- 159.0148°
- Mean anomaly
- 201.2724°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 4
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
6 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 3 components; 2 still in orbit
- Iridium MFS 1 · NORAD 24925 · in orbit
- Iridium MFS 2 · NORAD 24926 · in orbit
CZ-2C SD-Y1 Stage 2 · re-entered October 13, 1997
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Iridium-MFS payloads were mass models of the Iridium communications satellites. Two were launched to test the new CZ-2C (2) SD launch vehicle and the payload dispenser.
Pad
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
3rd launch from Launch Complex 7, 1st this year · 3rd from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
32 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
about 7 years after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Iridium MFS 1 & 2 launch?
Iridium MFS 1 & 2 launched on September 1, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Iridium MFS 1 & 2?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Iridium MFS 1 & 2?
Long March 2C/SD, flown by China Aerospace Corporation. Long March 2C/SD spec sheet
Where did Iridium MFS 1 & 2 launch from?
Launch Complex 7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Iridium MFS 1 & 2 reach?
Iridium MFS 1, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 222 × 645 km orbit inclined 86.2°.
How many satellites did Iridium MFS 1 & 2 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Iridium MFS 1 & 2 part of?
Iridium Constellation. About Iridium Constellation