Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
 Shenzhou 22 departs Jiuquan Launch Area 4, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Ejin, Alxa, Inner Mongolia & Hangtian, Jinta, Jiuquan, Gansu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 40°57′29″N 100°17′28″E / 40.95806°N 100.29111°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total launches | 262 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch pad | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | |||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 酒泉卫星发射中心 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 酒泉衛星發射中心 | ||||||||
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Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC; Chinese: 酒泉卫星发射中心; pinyin: Jiǔquán Wèixīng Fāshè Zhōngxīn) is a Chinese spaceport and a corps-grade[1] unit subordinate to the People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force. Its facilities are located across Ejin Banner, Inner Mongolia, and Jinta County, Gansu.[2]
The center forms part of Dongfeng Aerospace City (Base 10). Although most of the facility lies within Jinta County, the spaceport is named after Jiuquan. The launch center spans both sides of the Ruo Shui river.[3]
The site has supported many major Chinese space milestones, including the launch of Dong Fang Hong I in 1970, China's first satellite,[4]: 218 and first human spaceflight Shenzhou 5 in 2003. As of 2026, all Chinese crewed launches have originated from Jiuquan, via the Shenzhou spacecraft and Long March 2F rocket. The rocket also launches the robotic military spaceplane termed the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft from Jiuquan.[citation needed]
Name
[edit]The United States Intelligence Community previously designated the site as the Shuang-ch'eng-tzu Missile Test Range (SCTMTR). The base has also been referred to as Launch Complex B2, the Northwest Comprehensive Missile Testing Facility (西北综合导弹试验基地), Base 20, or Unit 63600.[5][dead link]
History
[edit]Founded in 1958, JSLC is the oldest of China's four spaceports. Like most Chinese launch facilities, it is located in a remote area and is generally closed to foreign visitors.
The launch center is part of Dongfeng Space City (东风航天城), also known as Base 10 (十号基地) or the Dongfeng base (东风基地). The broader Dongfeng site includes test-flight facilities for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), a space museum, and a martyrs' cemetery (东风烈士陵园).[6][better source needed]
JSLC is used for launching spacecraft into low- and medium-Earth orbits with high inclination, as well as for testing medium- and long-range missiles. Its facilities include the technical center, launch complexes, launch control center, mission command center, and associated logistical systems.[citation needed]
The center covers about 2,800 km2 and reportedly houses up to 20,000 personnel. Many of its systems and equipment were likely modelled on Soviet designs, and the Soviet Union probably provided early technical assistance.[citation needed]
JSLC was expanded during China's Third Front campaign to develop defense-related industry in inland regions in anticipation of potential conflict with the Soviet Union or the United States.[7]: 218
The site has supported many major Chinese space milestones, including the launch of China's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970,[4]: 218 and the first crewed space mission Shenzhou 5 in 2003. As of 2021, all Chinese crewed launches—including missions to the Tiangong space station—have originated from Jiuquan.[citation needed]
In August 2016, China launched the first quantum-communication satellite, Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, from JSLC.[8]
In August 2018, Chinese commercial rocket companies i-Space and OneSpace conducted sub-orbital launches from the center.[9] On 25 July 2019, I-Space carried out the first successful Chinese private orbital launch from Jiuquan using the Hyperbola-1 rocket.[citation needed]
Launch pads
[edit]The launch site includes two launch complexes, each with multiple pads.
North Launch Complex
[edit]The North Launch Complex contains two inactive launch areas.
- Launch Area 2: used for orbital launches and ballistic-missile tests.
- LA-2A: used for DF-3 and DF-5 ballistic-missile launches and for the earliest Chinese orbital missions using the CZ-1 (last orbital launch in 1971). (41°18′32″N 100°18′59″E / 41.3088°N 100.3165°E)
- LA-2B: used for CZ-2A, CZ-2C, CZ-2D, and FB-1 launches (last used in 1996). (41°18′22″N 100°18′48″E / 41.3061°N 100.3132°E)
- Launch Area 3: located about 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) south of LA-2, used for DF-1, DF-2, and R-2 missile launches.
- North pad (41°16′59″N 100°18′17″E / 41.2831°N 100.3047°E)
- South pad (41°16′49″N 100°18′16″E / 41.2804°N 100.3045°E)
South Launch Complex
[edit]The South Launch Complex is active and supports launches of CASC's Long March vehicles as well as commercial rockets.
- Launch Area 4: about 37.9 kilometres (23.5 mi) south of LA-3.
- SLS-1 (LS-43/91): active since 1999, used for crew-rated Long March 2F missions and served by a nearby Vertical Assembly Facility. (40°57′28″N 100°17′27″E / 40.957893°N 100.290944°E)
- SLS-2 (LS-43/94): active since 2003, used for Long March 2C, Long March 2D, Long March 4B, and Long March 4C launches. (40°57′38″N 100°17′53″E / 40.960671°N 100.298186°E)
- Commercial launch pads (various locations south and east of LA-4):
- LS-95: two pads used for Long March 11, Kuaizhou, Jielong 1, OS-M1, Hyperbola-1, and Ceres-1 launches.
- LS-96: operated by LandSpace for the Zhuque-2 launcher. (40°54′54″N 100°14′43″E / 40.9149°N 100.2454°E)
- LS-120: operated by Space Pioneer for the Tianlong-2 launcher. (40°51′20″N 100°11′57″E / 40.8556°N 100.1992°E)
- LS-130: operated by CAS Space for the Kinetica 1 launcher. (40°49′07″N 100°13′26″E / 40.8186°N 100.2240°E)
- LS-140: operated by CAS Space for the Kinetica 2 launcher.
Image gallery
[edit]
Site map
KH-7 satellite image of the facility in 1967.
A warning board at the gate.
Launch Vehicle Vertical Assembly Building.
Tower 1 and 2 behind a sign.
Launch tower.
Launch of Long March 2D (VRSS-1 / Miranda).
Roll out of Long March 2F (Shenzhou 12).
Launch of Long March 2F (Shenzhou 12).
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See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "张志芬少将任酒泉卫星发射中心主任-搜狐新闻". news.sohu.com. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ↑ The precise administrative division is disputed.
- ↑ "This Military Base Is Where China Blasts Humans into Space". Bloomberg.com.
- 1 2 Meyskens, Covell F. (2020). Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108784788. ISBN 978-1-108-78478-8.
- ↑ "Jiuquan Space Launch Center – Facilities – NTI". www.nti.org. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ↑ "航天科技游圣地——东风航天城 (Dongfeng Space City)" (in Chinese). 新华网内蒙古频道. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
- ↑ Meyskens, Covell F. (2020). Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108784788. ISBN 978-1-108-78478-8. OCLC 1145096137. S2CID 218936313.
- ↑ "China Launches Pioneering 'Hack-Proof' Quantum-Communications Satellite". Space.com. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (7 September 2018). "Chinese startups OneSpace, iSpace succeed with suborbital launches". Retrieved 10 September 2018.
External links
[edit]
- Base 20 Jiuquan Space Facility on GlobalSecurity.org