China launched several test payloads for a proposed constellation of internet satellites earlier this week. The recent move may pave the way for the launch of thousands more Chinese spacecraft to compete with private networks like SpaceX and OneWeb.
The country launched the two spacecrafts on a Long March 2C rocket, which recently had a bigger payload fairing, allowing for the launch of more satellites on a single flight.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a state-owned space contractor, said the Long March 2C rocket launched from the Jiuquan launch facility in the Inner Mongolia area of northern China at 7:15 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
The Yuanzheng 1S top stage of the rocket sent the two satellites, known as RSW in Chinese, into an orbit around 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) above Earth with an inclination of 89.4 degrees to the equator, Spaceflight Now said, citing US military monitoring data.
The Long March 2C rocket also carried an unnamed third satellite, likewise on a communications technology demonstration mission. CAST's DFH Satellite subsidiary published and then removed a report that accounted for the third satellite on the journey.
NASASpaceFlight claimed that the identical spacecraft is part of a series of military satellites believed to be part of a Chinese early-warning missile detection system, comparable to the US' Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS).
China to Deploy Starlink-Like Satellites
The Long March 2C rocket launched Tuesday had a new 4.2-meter (13.8-foot) diameter payload fairing, indicating that China is planning a large-scale satellite constellation deployment. The nose shroud is bigger than fairings used on previous Long March 2C rockets, allowing each launcher to carry more satellites on a single trip.
A Long March 5B rocket lifted off from the Wenchang launch site on China's southern Hainan island on May 5, 2020. - Chinese state media reported the "successful" launch of a new rocket on May 5, a major test of its ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.
According to regulatory documents obtained by SpaceFlightNow, China plans to deploy a constellation of up to 13,000 satellites to offer a worldwide internet connection.
A tube-shaped multi-satellite adaptor structure was also launched within the payload fairing of the Long March 2C rocket.
ALSO READ: Is China Making Its Own Mars Helicopter? This Drone Looks Like NASA Ingenuity's Copycat
The support tube will contain mounting hooks for additional spacecraft on future flights, similar to how OneWeb and other firms deploy many satellites.
NASASpaceFlight said two out of three spacecraft launched on that mission, Ronghe Shiyan Weixing-01 and 02 (RSW-01/02), are the experimental communications satellites built by CNSA's prime contractor, China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CAST).
The two RSW spacecraft resemble two SpaceX's spacecrafts launched aboard a Falcon 9 in 2018 to test technology for the Starlink constellation.
The RSW-01 and RSW-02 satellites were launched into polar orbit.
Even little information has been provided on the mission's third and final spacecraft.
Another experimental communications spacecraft developed by CAST subsidiary Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Company Limited (DFH) is the third passenger.
Space.com said the launch of another ChinaSat's communications satellite from Xichang and a new Gaofen 5 Earth observation satellite coming from Taiyuan, north China, is anticipated to be CASC's next mission for this week.
Tianzhou 3, a new space station cargo mission, will launch from Wenchang on China's south coast in mid-September to deliver supplies in advance of the Shenzhou 13 crewed trip in October.
Expace plans to launch two Kuaizhou-1A light-lift solid rockets from Jiuquan this month.
RELATED ARTICLE: China's Moon Landing Mission Might Use Modified Version of Long March 5 Rockets, Chief Designer Says
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.