PRC
China is currently one of the five leading space powers in the world. Successful space exploration is largely predetermined by the level of development of satellite launch vehicles, as well as spaceports with launch and control and measurement complexes. There are four spaceports in China (one under construction).
Jiuquan Cosmodrome is the first Chinese cosmodrome and rocket range, it has been operating since 1958. The cosmodrome is located on the edge of the Badan-Jilin Desert in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Gansu Province, named after the city of Jiuquan, located 100 kilometers from the cosmodrome. The launch site at the cosmodrome has an area of 2800 km².
The Jiuquan Cosmodrome is often called the Chinese Baikonur. This is the very first and until 1984 the only rocket and space test site in the country. It is the largest spaceport in China and the only one used in the national manned program. Also carries out launches of military missiles. For the period from 1970-1996. 28 space launches were made from the Jiuquan cosmodrome, of which 23 were successful. Mainly reconnaissance satellites and spacecraft for remote sensing of the Earth were launched into low orbits.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Jiuquan Cosmodrome
In the 90s, China had the opportunity to provide commercial services to other states to launch payloads into low-Earth orbits. However, due to its geographic location and limited sector of launch azimuths, the Jiuquan Cosmodrome is unable to provide a wide range of such services. Therefore, it was decided to make this space center the main base for launching controlled spacecraft.
To this end, a new launch complex and a building for the vertical assembly of new powerful CZ-2F launch vehicles were built at the Jiuquan cosmodrome in 1999. This building allows the assembly of three or four launch vehicles simultaneously with the subsequent transportation of missiles to the launch site on a mobile launch pad in a vertical position, as is done in the United States with the Space Shuttle system.
On the territory of the operating launch complex there are two launchers with ground power towers and a common service tower. They provide launches of LV CZ-2 and CZ-4. It is from here that manned spacecraft are launched.
Launch vehicle "Long March 2F"
After the successful launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft on October 15, 2003, China became the world's 3rd manned space power.
Launch vehicle "Great March 4"
For the implementation of the manned program in China, a new control complex was created, including a control center (MCC) in Beijing, ground and command and measurement points. According to cosmonaut V. V. Ryumin, the Chinese Mission Control Center is better than in Russia and the United States. There is no such center in any country in the world. In the main hall of the MCC, in five rows, there are more than 100 terminals for presenting information to the specialists of the control group, and on the end wall there are four large display screens, on which a three-dimensional synthesized image can be displayed.
In 1967, Mao Zedong decided to start developing his own manned space program. The first Chinese spacecraft, Shuguang-1, was supposed to send two cosmonauts into orbit already in 1973. Especially for him, in the province of Sichuan, near the city of Xichang, the construction of a cosmodrome, also known as "Base 27", was started.
The location of the launch pad was chosen according to the principle of maximum distance from the Soviet border; moreover, the cosmodrome is located closer to the equator, which increases the load thrown into orbit.
After funding for the project was cut in 1972, and several leading scientists were repressed during the Cultural Revolution, the project was closed. The construction of the cosmodrome resumed a decade later, ending in 1984.
The cosmodrome is capable of producing 10-12 launches per year.
The cosmodrome has two launch complexes and three launchers.
The first launch complex provides: assembly, prelaunch preparation and launch of medium-class carrier rockets of the CZ-3 family ("Great March-3"), launch weight up to: 425 800 kg.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Sichan cosmodrome
CZ-3B / E missiles are currently in operation. The first launch took place on February 14, 1996, but it turned out to be emergency. 22 seconds after the launch, the rocket hit the village, destroying the Intelsat 708 satellite on board and killing several peasants. Nine subsequent launches of the CZ-3B and two launches of the CZ-3B / E were successful, with the exception of one partially unsuccessful. In 2009, the CZ-3B launch vehicle, due to the abnormal operation of the third stage, launched the Indonesian satellite Palapa-D into a lower orbit from the planned orbit. However, the satellite was later able to automatically correct its orbit.
The first launch of CZ-3B / E took place on May 13, 2007, when the telecommunications satellite NigComSat-1 was launched into geosynchronous orbit. On October 30, 2008, the Venesat-1 satellite was launched into orbit.
Launch vehicle "Great March 3"
The second launch complex has two launchers: one is designed for launches of heavy-class CZ-2 launch vehicles, the other - CZ-3A, CZ-3B, CZ-3C launch vehicles.
The three-stage launch vehicle of the heavy class CZ-2F ("Long March 2F"), with a launch weight of up to: 464,000 kg, like many other Chinese missiles, is a direct heir to the ballistic missiles that were developed in China. The main difference lies in the ability to carry a large payload thanks to the additional booster blocks in the first stage of the launch vehicle.
To date, the carrier rocket of this modification is the most "lifting" one. She has repeatedly put satellites into orbit, and also manned flights are carried out with her help.
Over the years of its existence, the Xichan Cosmodrome has already successfully carried out more than 50 launches of Chinese and foreign satellites.
The Taiyuan Cosmodrome is located in the northern province of Shanxi, near the city of Taiyuan. It has been operating since 1988.
Its area is 375 sq. Km. It is designed to launch spacecraft into polar and sun-synchronous orbits.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Taiyuan cosmodrome
From this cosmodrome, remote sensing spacecraft, as well as meteorological and reconnaissance ones, are launched into orbit. The cosmodrome houses a launcher, a maintenance tower and two storage facilities for liquid fuel.
Here launches of LV type: CZ-4B and CZ-2C / SM are carried out. The CZ-4 launch vehicle is based on the CZ-2C launch vehicle and differs from it in a new third stage based on long-term storage fuel.
The fourth Wenchang cosmodrome under construction is located near the city of Wenchang on the northeastern coast of Hainan Island. The choice of this place as a site for the construction of a new cosmodrome is primarily due to two factors: firstly, the proximity to the equator, and secondly, the location on the seashore with convenient bays, which facilitates the delivery of CZ-5 launch vehicles (Great March -5) heavy class with a starting weight of 643,000 kg, from the plant in Tianjin. The future space center under the project will occupy an area of up to 30 km2. The first launch of the CZ-5 launch vehicle at the Wenchang Cosmodrome is scheduled for 2014.
Today, China demonstrates the highest rates of space exploration. The volume of investments and the number of scientific programs in this area significantly exceed the indicators of Russia. To speed up the work, every year hundreds of Chinese specialists receive education in specialized educational institutions around the world. The Chinese also do not disdain direct copying, so much in the Chinese manned spacecraft "Shenzhou" is repeated by the Russian spacecraft "Soyuz".
Lander of the ship "Shenzhou-5"
The entire structure of the spacecraft and all its systems are almost completely identical to the Soviet spacecraft of the Soyuz series, and the orbital module is built using technologies used in the series of Soviet space stations Salyut.
France
The Kuru Cosmodrome is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, on a strip approximately 60 km long and 20 km wide between the towns of Kuru and Cinnamari, 50 km from the capital of French Guiana - Cayenne.
The Kuru cosmodrome is located very well, just 500 km north of the equator. The rotation of the Earth gives the carrier an additional speed of 460 meters per second (1656 km / h) with a launch trajectory in an easterly direction. This saves fuel and money, and extends the active life of the satellites.
Launch of the carrier rocket "Ariane-5"
In 1975, when the European Space Agency (ESA) was formed, the French government proposed using the Kourou spaceport for European space programs. ESA, considering the Kuru spaceport as its component, financed the modernization of the Kuru launch sites for the Ariane spacecraft program.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Kuru cosmodrome
At the cosmodrome there are four launch complexes for LV: heavy class - "Ariane-5", medium - "Soyuz", light - "Vega", and probe rockets. In 2012, 10 launch vehicles were launched from the Kuru cosmodrome, which corresponds to the number of launches from Cape Canaveral.
Launch of the Vega rocket
In 2007, within the framework of Russian-French cooperation at the Kuru cosmodrome, work began on the construction of sites for the launch of Russian Soyuz-2 missiles. The first launch of the Russian Soyuz-STB launch vehicle was made on October 21, 2011. The next launch of the Russian Soyuz-STA-class launch vehicle took place on December 17, 2011. The last launch of the Soyuz-STB launch vehicle from the cosmodrome took place on June 25, 2013.
