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China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 2DLaunch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
QUESS (Micius)
Launched
August 15, 2016 · 17:40 UTC
Summary
QUESS (Micius) launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2D from Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on August 15, 2016 at 17:40 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:33 to 18:00 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 180th launch, 12th this year and humanity's 5,580th orbital launch attempt. It was the 29th Long March 2D flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Mozi hao, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 495 × 511 km orbit inclined 97.4°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 29th Long March 2D flight · 3rd this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 180th launch12th this yearhumanity's 5,580th orbital launch attempt51st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Mozi hao · NORAD 41731 · 2016-051 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2016-051A
- Epoch
- 2016-08-15 20:40:01 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.23209994 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0011764
- Inclination
- 97.3577°
- Ascending node
- 144.6407°
- Arg. of perigee
- 256.122°
- Mean anomaly
- 189.8998°
- 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
3 catalogued: 3 payloads; none still in orbit
- Mozi hao · NORAD 41731 · re-entered January 25, 2026
- 3Cat-2 · NORAD 41732 · re-entered December 18, 2023
- Lixing 1 · NORAD 41733 · re-entered August 19, 2016
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) is the first satellite purpose-built for quantum experiments in the world. The 600kg satellite will test long range quantum communications at longer range than ever before. So far scientists have managed to reach up to around 300km, but they hope that in space the range can be increased significantly. They will be testing it up to around 1200km. The mission is expected to last 2 years
Pad
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
44th launch from Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), 4th this year · 86th from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Aug 16, 1:40 AM GMT+8, at night
138 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
47 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Questions
When did QUESS (Micius) launch?
QUESS (Micius) launched on August 15, 2016 at 17:40 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:33 to 18:00 UTC.
Where can I watch QUESS (Micius)?
Coverage: China launches world's first quantum satellite successfully. Watch the replay
What rocket launched QUESS (Micius)?
Long March 2D, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 2D spec sheet
Where did QUESS (Micius) launch from?
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Aug 16, 1:40 AM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did QUESS (Micius) reach?
Mozi hao, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 495 × 511 km orbit inclined 97.4°.
How many satellites did QUESS (Micius) launch?
3 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).