On June 10 at 6:31 pm UTC, a Long March 2C rocket launched the Haiyang 1D oceanography satellite from the Taiyuan space center in northern China’s Shanxi province.
The Haiyang 1D satellite was launched from the Taiyuan Space Center aboard a Long March 2C in what was the first launch from Taiyuan since the middle of January. The US military confirms the rocket placed the payload into a 775 km / 480 mi altitude sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), and Chinese officials declared the launch a success.
The 442 kg satellite was built by CAST, a subsidiary of CASC, and joins Haiyang 1C in observing ocean surface temperatures as well as ocean colors which can provide clues to near-surface chemistry and marine life. “Haiyang” is Mandarin for “ocean,” and 1D is the sixth satellite in the series.
The satellite also includes an automatic identification system for tracking of ocean-going craft, and its visual imaging systems will support coastal and ocean resource management and disaster management planning.
The rocket featured modified fairing halves built by CALT, another subsidiary of CASC. These consisted of an added “X-shaped” support structure to prevent deformation and flexing during reentry. An optical sensor was added to provide data on the conditions experienced during descent.
These modifications follow on to the addition of grid fins seen attached to the first stage in last July’s launch of a Long March 2C, intended to steer the spent vehicle away from populated areas. There were no fins on this rocket’s first stage, according to images of it during launch operations.
You may wonder, as I did, how did they get six satellites out of “Haiyang 1C” and “Haiyang 1D”; surely this is the fourth satellite? Turns out the Haiyang 1 series contains one set of instruments, the observations of which augment those of the Haiyang 2 series. Series 1 focuses more on the optical wavelengths and near-infrared (NIR); Series 2 has various radars which detect ocean surface topography and wind speeds/directions, as well as longer wavelength infrared (IR) instruments to detect ocean temps. Haiyang 2B is part of this series and is currently operational.
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