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China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 2FLaunch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Shenzhou-3
Launched
March 25, 2002
Summary
Shenzhou-3 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2F from Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on March 25, 2002. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 9th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 4,525th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Long March 2F flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Shenzhou 3, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 339 × 345 km orbit inclined 42.4°. The spacecraft was Shenzhou 3 (3). 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Long March 2F flight · 1st this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 9th launch1st this yearhumanity's 4,525th orbital launch attempt14th orbital launch attempt this year
Spacecraft
Shenzhou 3 (3)
This was the first Shenzhou spacecraft launched that could have actually carried a human and as such the main objective of the mission was to test the systems required to support a human in space. On board it carried a dummy to simulate physiological signals of a human — palpitation, pulse, breathing, eating, metabolism, and excretion.
- Destination: Low Earth Orbit
- Mission length: 6 days 18 hours
The Shenzhou 3 spacecraft landed in the Dorbnod Banner in Inner Mongolia, China.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Shenzhou 3 · NORAD 27397 · 2002-014 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- SZ-3
- Object ID
- 2002-014A
- Epoch
- 2002-03-26 01:55:54 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.78390447 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0004186
- Inclination
- 42.3983°
- Ascending node
- 25.7559°
- Arg. of perigee
- 272.4385°
- Mean anomaly
- 87.6001°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 8
- 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
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- Shenzhou 3 · NORAD 27397 · landed April 1, 2002
- Shenzhou 3 Guidao Cang · NORAD 27408 · re-entered November 12, 2002
CZ-2F Y3 Stage 2 · re-entered April 2, 2002
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Third test flight of the Shenzhou spacecraft, without crew on board. Main objective of the mission was to test the systems required to support a human in space. A human dummy was carried in the descent module to simulate the physiological signals of a human. 44 different experiments were carried, including an imaging spectrograph, cloud sensor, radiation sensor, solar ultraviolet monitor, solar constant monitor, atmospheric composition detector, atmospheric density detector, multi-chamber space crystallization furnace, space protein crystal equipment, a cell bioreactor, a solid matter tracking detector, and a microgravity gauge. Also on board was a video camera that broadcast images of the Earth as seen through one of the windows on the spacecraft.
Pad
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
3rd launch from Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), 1st this year · 31st from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
29 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
439 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 Shenzhou-3 launch?
Shenzhou-3 launched on March 25, 2002. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Shenzhou-3?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Shenzhou-3?
Long March 2F, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 2F spec sheet
Where did Shenzhou-3 launch from?
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
What orbit did Shenzhou-3 reach?
Shenzhou 3, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 339 × 345 km orbit inclined 42.4°.
How many satellites did Shenzhou-3 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Shenzhou-3 part of?
Shenzhou. About Shenzhou