Photo: Weibo account of CCTV News
Having successfully launched an internet technology test satellite using a Long March-2C rocket on Saturday morning from the Northwest China's Gansu Province, China's state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced that it has completed all 48 missions scheduled for the year of 2023, with a perfect success rate.
Sources inside the space industry said the mission marked the completion of China's annual space launch plan in 2023.
So far, China has carried out nearly 70 rocket launches this year and 47 of them were conducted by the Long March rocket family, the nation's main launch vehicle fleet.
According to the CASC's official press release on Saturday, CASC has sent more than 130 spacecraft into their pre-designated orbits in the 48 orbital launches, with the Long March rocket series carrying out 47 of the total 48 flight missions, and the Smart Dragon-3 carrying out ocean based launches in South China Sea near South China's Guangdong Province.
The Long March rocket series have extended their current winning streak to 175 consecutive missions, CASC announced on Saturday.
The internet technology test satellite launched on Saturday was developed by the China Academy of Spacecraft Technology Corporation (CAST) by CASC.
The Global Times has learned from the CAST that the academy has also delivered a perfect score in 2023, with all 46 satellites and spacecraft it developed being successfully launched into orbit.
CAST said in a statement shared with the Global Times on Saturday that among the 46 satellites and spacecraft flight missions, it has supported and ensured the smooth undertaking of missions related to the China Space Station that include the spaceflight of Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft, Shenzhou-16 and -17 manned spacecraft.
The academy also listed innovations and breakthroughs achieved in 2023, which marked significant milestones in the country's space exploration endeavors this year in the statement.
China successfully launched the Land Survey 4 01 satellite in 2023. Developed by the CAST, the satellite has been recognized as the "world's first high-orbit Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite."
Its unique capability to operate uninhibited by climate and light conditions allows for unprecedented all-weather, round-the-clock Earth-to-Earth observation. The launch of the satellite significantly enhances China's space-based disaster monitoring system, and expands its observational capabilities in key regions of the country.
China has also successfully dispatched a new-generation ocean color monitoring satellites into space in November to help improve understanding of marine waters, the world's first high-precision ocean color observation satellite that targets various water bodies around the world, using multiple detection methods.
Also notable was the launch of Zhongxing-26 satellite in 2023, with a communication capacity exceeding 100 Gbps, making it currently the most powerful satellite in China for the civilian and commercial communication use.
China has also added the 56th, 57th and 58th satellites to its mega space infrastructure the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in 2023, making the system more reliable.
Marking a significant victory of international cooperation in space, China has also launched the EgyptSat-2 satellite, which was achieved via a joint development model between China and Egypt. It contributes significantly to the transformation and upgrading of Sino-Arab and Sino-African cooperation, as well as to the high-quality development of the China-backed Belt and Road Initiative.
Pang Zhihao, a renowned space expert on Saturday hailed China's space program for achieving steady development and continuous innovation, making significant achievements in fields such as launch vehicles, artificial satellites, manned spaceflight, and space exploration in 2023.
