China’s third flight mission Jielong-3 also known as Smart Dragon-3 or SD-3 is a small but powerful Chinese commercial rocket, launched from a floating platform on the coast of Yangjiang in Southern Guangdong province on Saturday.
China’s third flight mission Jielong-3 also known as Smart Dragon-3 or SD-3 is a small but powerful Chinese commercial rocket. It is the second launch of the rocket in just 2 months, from a floating platform on the coast of Yangjian in Southern Guangdong province on Saturday. The rocket is capable of a wide range of payloads. China delivered nine affordable-cost satellites with the Jielong-3 rocket into orbit.
Chinese automakers Geely Holding Group also launched 11 satellites to boost its capacity and to provide more accurate navigation for the vehicles.
About Jielong-3 Rocket
The rocket was developed by China Rocket Company (CRC), a commercial offshoot launch vehicle owned by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The first flight of Jielong-3 was successfully launched with fourteen small satellites into polar orbit on December 9, 2022, at 6:35 UTC from a specially converted floating platform of the South China Sea.
The solid-fueled and 4-stage orbital rocket is capable of carrying heavy payloads including remote sensing satellites, communication satellites, and even experimental payloads for various scientific research.
The Jielong-3 rocket is positioned vertically, is approximately 31 meters high, 2.65 meters in diameter, and weighs approximately 145 metric tons. It can deliver payloads of up to 1.5 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) and up to 500 kg to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). This impressive payload capacity has made China a major player in the small satellite launch market, which is experiencing exponential growth globally.
CRC said the Jielong-3 rocket could carry over twenty satellites which cost less than $10,000 per kg and made it a competitive cost for small lifting rockets globally. The cost is equal to other small-lift rockets including Long March 11. Jielong-3 is also comparably more powerful than Lijian-1 from the year 2022.
The first launch was a great success which was able to carry payloads into orbit with an accurate target. This achievement not only showcases to the word of China’s technical prowess but also highlights its dedication to advancing space exploration and satellite utilization.
China’s Space Missions
China has previously launched two flights before Jielong-3. The first flight on December 9, 2022, from the East China Sea, carried fourteen satellites named Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D-44-50 and Pingtai-01A01, HEAD 2H, Jinzijing Qilu-1 05 and 06, Tianqi 07, Huoju 1 (Torch 1) and CAS 5A.
The second flight was launched on December 5, 2023, from the South China Sea, and carried three satellites named, Hulanwang, Jishu, and Shiyan 3.
The third flight was launched on February 3, 2024, from the South China Sea, carried nine satellites named, Dongfang, Huiyan GF01, DRO-L, NEXSAT-1, WeiHai-1-01 and 02, XingShiDai-18, 19 and 20 and ninth satellite named Zhicinh-2A.
The upcoming two flights are scheduled for this year. The time and place will be updated by CAS.
In conclusion, the successful launch of the Jielong-3 rocket set a milestone for China’s space program. It showcases the country as a major player in the global space industry. It’s versatility, cost-effectiveness, and special features such as, impressive payload capacity, the Jielong-3 rocket is all set to revolutionize the small satellite launch market. China continuously pushes the boundaries of space exploration. The world is eagerly waiting for its next move and expecting further groundbreaking achievements in the years to come.
