Long March 1 — mission imagery
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Dong Fang Hong 1

Long March 1Seventh Ministry of Machine Building IndustryLaunch Area 2A
Friday, April 24, 1970 · 01:35 PM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

Long March 1

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The Long March 10A is a human-rated launch vehicle designed to replace the current Long March 2F, along with the Low Earth Orbit version of China's Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, as their...

Height67.4 m
LEO Payload18,000 kg
Launches582
Successes567

Provider

Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry

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CHN • Founded 1999

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufactu...

Mission Brief

Dong Fang Hong 1 (DFH-1) was the first Chinese satellite. This was the first satellite launched by China on its own booster, making China the fifth nation to put a spacecraft into orbit using its own rocket. The satellite was developed under the direction of Tsien Hsue-Shen, dean of the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST). The experimental satellite was a nearly spherically shaped symmetrical 72-faced polyhedron with a 1-meter diameter. It was battery-powered and carried a radio transmitter. The primary mission was to broadcast the song "Dong Fang Hong", paying tribute to Chairman Mao, and to announce the time. A total of five identical satellites were built to have backups in case of launch failures. The first satellite launched successfully.

PayloadDong Fang Hong 1
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
CustomerSeventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry
Stages2
PadLaunch Area 2A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Mission Timeline

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Launch Site

Launch Area 2A, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

LAUNCH SITE
41.309°N, 100.317°E

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.