Long March 2C/SM — mission imagery
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Success

Tan Ce 1

Long March 2C/SMChina Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLaunch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1)
Monday, December 29, 2003 · 07:06 PM UTC

This mission is complete.

Mission Brief

The Double Star spacecraft, called also Tan Ce (TC) which in Chinese means ‘Probe‘, is a joint Chinese and ESA mission to study the effect of the Sun on the Earth's environment. The polar spacecraft (TC-2) will monitor the energy input from the solar wind into the polar ionosphere. The equatorial spacecraft (TC-1) will investigate the so-called substorm process, when it is in the Earth's magnetotail, and the entry of solar particle on the front side of the magnetosphere.

PayloadTan Ce 1
OrbitElliptical Orbit
CustomerChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Stages2
PadLaunch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Mission Timeline

14 / 14100%

Ground vector

Launch site

Site locked

Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1)

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Global range
SITE LOCK
Latitude
28.247°N
Longitude
102.029°E

Range Weather

Launch commit criteria

Clear
Watch
TrackingNo active constraints
Weather Rules

Tracking no weather issues at this time.

Primary concern
No weather issues
Rule count
0
Temperature
Not reported
Surface wind
Not reported
Window

07:06 PM UTC - 07:06 PM UTC

Vehicle

Long March 2C/SM

Profile →
Height67.4 m
LEO Payload18,000 kg
Launches618
Successes595

Provider

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Profile →

CHN • Founded 1999

Schedule History

No meaningful launch-time or status changes recorded.