China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 6CLaunch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Maiden Flight
Launched
May 7, 2024 · 03:21 UTC
Image: 中国之声
Summary
Maiden Flight launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6C from Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on May 7, 2024 at 03:21 UTC. The launch window ran from 03:13 to 03:55 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 467th launch, 15th this year and humanity's 6,675th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Long March 6C flight. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Haiwangxing-01, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 435 × 511 km orbit inclined 97.4°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, 4 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Long March-6C first launchSciNews
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 1st Long March 6C flightChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 467th launch15th this yearhumanity's 6,675th orbital launch attempt86th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Haiwangxing-01 · NORAD 59677 · 2024-085 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2024-085A
- Epoch
- 2024-05-07 07:33:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.3329283 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0055436
- Inclination
- 97.395°
- Ascending node
- 203.1948°
- Arg. of perigee
- 353.5292°
- Mean anomaly
- 6.488°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
5 catalogued: 4 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- Haiwangxing-01 · NORAD 59677 · re-entered March 28, 2025
- Zhixing 1C · NORAD 59678 · re-entered March 20, 2026
- Kuanfu Guangxue Weixing · NORAD 59679 · in orbit
- Gaofen Shipin Weixing · NORAD 59680 · in orbit
CZ-6C Y1 Stage 2 · re-entered January 22, 2026
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Carried 4 Earth observation satellites to orbit: * Haiwangxing-01, 239 kg X-band SAR satellite built by SAST for Zhihui Space Tech * Zhixing-1C, X-band radar sat for Smart Satellite Technology * 2 unidentified optical Earth observation satellites
Pad
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
6th launch from Launch Complex 9A, 2nd this year · 126th from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: May 7, 11:21 AM GMT+8, in daylight
29 launches from this pad · 162 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
41 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 1 earlier update
Adding launch per NOTAMs; Payload and launch vehicle identities extremely uncertain.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/2/2024 · source
Questions
When did Maiden Flight launch?
Maiden Flight launched on May 7, 2024 at 03:21 UTC. The launch window ran from 03:13 to 03:55 UTC.
Where can I watch Maiden Flight?
Coverage: Long March-6C first launch. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Maiden Flight?
Long March 6C, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 6C spec sheet
Where did Maiden Flight launch from?
Launch Complex 9A, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was May 7, 11:21 AM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Maiden Flight reach?
Haiwangxing-01, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 435 × 511 km orbit inclined 97.4°.
How many satellites did Maiden Flight launch?
4 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).