Xichang Satellite Launch Center

The main purpose of Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) is to launch spacecraft, such as broadcasting, communications and meteorological satellites, into geo-stationary orbit .

XSLC is located in Xichang Region, Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Its headquarters is at Xichang City, 65 km from the launch site. The coordinates of the launch pad are 102.0 degree E and 28.2 degree N.

The climate of Xichang Region is subtropical type and the average temperature is 16 degree C. Ground wind in this region is generally very mild in all seasons.

Xichang Airport is situated in the northern suburbs of Xichang, which is 13.5 km from the down town and 50km from the launch site. The runway of the airport is 3,600 meters long, capable of landing jumbo aircraft such as Lockheed C-130, AN 124 and Boeing-747.

The national Chengdu-Kunming Railway and the Sichuan-Yunnan Highway links to XSLC. It is 535 km from Chengdu to Xichang along the railway. There is a dedicated railway branch and a highway branch leading to the Technical Center and the Launch Complex. An 8-meter wide cement road connects the Technical Center and the Launch Complex.

With cable network and satellite communications network, XSLC provides internal and international telephone, telex and fax services.

Spacecraft/Launcher processing facilities and launch facilities, logistics support facilities and hotels are available to international customer launch missions.

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC), is located in northwest of Shanxi Province, 284 km from Taiyuan City either by train or bus.

It is 1400 -1900 meters above the sea level, surrounded by mountains in east, south and north directions, with the Yellow River in west. Annual average temperature is 4 - 10 degrees C, with the highest temperature of 28 degrees C in summer and -39 degrees C in winter. The average ground atmospheric pressure is 850 mPa, the average humidity is 50-60%, and average annual precipitation is 540 mm.

TSLC is suitable to launch various satellites, especially for LEO and SSO missions. It has the state-of-the-art facilities such as launch vehicle and spacecraft testing, processing, launch operations, tracking and safety control in flight, and orbit predictions. As of today, TSLC has successfully launched all of the Chinese SSO meteorological satellites and 12 Iridium satellites by LM-4 and LM-2C/SD launch vehicles respectively.

Jiuquan satellite Launch Center

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) is the earliest launch centers. It was built in 1958, and equipped with the state-of-the-art satellite launch facilities.

JSLC is mainly used to conduct scientific and recoverable satellite missions with medium, low earth orbit and high inclinations. As of today, JSLC has successfully conducted over 20 scientific satellite launch missions by LM-1, LM-2C and LM-2D since launching the first Chinese satellite --- DFH-1 by LM-1 in 1970. In October, 1992, JSLC welcomed its first international mission --- Freja scientific satellite mission of Swedish Space Corporation. By using an LM-2C launch vehicle, the Freja satellite was successfully piggybacked with a Chinese recoverable satellite into pre-defined orbit.

JSLC is situated in Jiuquan Region, Gansu Province, northwest China. The coordinates of the launch site are 100°E and 41 N and the altitude above sea level is around 1000m.

The climate of Jiuquan Region is an inland and desert type. It is dry in all seasons with little rain and long daytime. The annual average temperature is 8.5 degree C. The relative humidity is 35-55%. All of these provide good environmental conditions for satellite launch.

There is a dedicated railway branch at JSLC, connecting to the national Lanzhou-to-Wulumuqi Railway at Qingshui area and directly linking to the JSLC Technical Center and the Launch Area.

An airport ---Dingxin Airport is 75 km away from the south of JSLC. The runway of the Airport is 4100 meters long, 80 meters wide, well accommodates jumbo aircraft landing such as Lockheed C-130 and Boeing-747.

An 8 meters wide cement road connects the airport to the Technical Center and the Launch Complex, good for transporting spacecraft from the airport to Technical Center and to the Launch Complex.

There are two launch complexes in JSLC-North Launch Complex and South Launch Complex. Spacecraft/Launcher processing facilities, launch facilities, logistic support facilities and hotels are available to different LEO launch missions.