2 successful orbital launches just ~6 hours apart today in China from Xichang and Taiyuan spaceports.
Today; April 15, 2022, at 18:16 UTC [2:16 a.m on April 16, Beijing time] China CASC successfully launched the atmospheric environment monitoring satellite (AEMS) using the Long March 4C carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite successfully entered the predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success.
Daqi-1 a.k.a. AEMS is a 2.6t satellite to be operated at 705 km altitude in Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), which the Chinese claims will be able to measure CO2 concentration down to the nearest 1 ppm with apparently the world's 1st CO2 measuring in-space LiDAR.
The satellite is mainly used for regional ambient air quality and ecological environment monitoring, and provides domestic data support for further improving country's comprehensive atmospheric environment monitoring, global climate change research, crop yield estimation, agricultural disaster monitoring and other application capabilities
This mission is the 416th flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles, and the 11th launch of this year 2022 from China, also the 2nd launch today. The LM-4C (Chang Zheng 4C or CZ-4C) is a 'hypergolic' based launch vehicle, was developed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. Based on its three stage design and second stage restart precision orbital capability, it can be expected to continue to launch these heavier, more demanding satellites. It appears to be the basic CZ-4B booster with the improved optional operational restart second stage engine modification as well as an existing third stage already proven constantly.
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