View source for Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

{{Short description|Chinese launch site}}
{{Coord|40|57|29|N|100|17|28|E|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox launch pad|name=Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center|image=Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center map.gif|caption=Map of the chinese Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center|site=|short=|tlaunches=207|unknown=|location=[[Ejin Banner|Ejin]], [[Alxa League|Alxa]], [[Inner Mongolia]] & Hangtian, [[Jinta County|Jinta]], [[Jiuquan]], [[Gansu Province|Gansu]]|coordinates={{Coord|40|57|29|N|100|17|28|E|display=inline}}|operator=[[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation|CASC]]|pads=Two|paddetails={{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  = Site 9401 (SLS-2)
| status       = Active
| launches     = 117
| first_launch = 3 November 2003
| first_details= [[Long March 2D]] / FSW-3 1
| last_launch  = 24 November 2024
| last_details = [[Long March 2C]] / SuperView Neo 2-03/04
| rockets      = [[Long March 2C]]<br/>[[Long March 2D]]<br/>[[Long March 4B]]<br/>[[Long March 4C]]
}}
{{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  =  Site 901 (SLS-1)
| status       = Active
| launches     = 24
| first_launch = 19 November 1999
| first_details= [[Long March 2F]] / [[Shenzhou 1]]
| last_launch  = 29 October 2024
| last_details = [[Long March 2F]] / [[Shenzhou 19]]
| rockets      = [[Long March 2F]]
}}
{{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  =  Site 95A
| status       = Active
| launches     = 56
| first_launch = 25 September 2013
| first_details= [[Kuaizhou#Models|Kuaizhou-1]] / Kuaizhou 1 (satellite)
| last_launch  = 10 July 2024
| last_details = [[Hyperbola-1]] / Yunyao-1 15-17
| rockets      = [[Kuaizhou#Models|Kuaizhou-1]] (retired)<br/>[[OneSpace#OS-M1|OS-M1]] (retired)<br/>[[LandSpace#Zhuque-1|Zhuque-1]] (retired)<br/>[[Kaituozhe_(rocket_family)#Kaituozhe-2|Kaituozhe-2]] (retired)<br/>[[Kuaizhou#Models|Kuaizhou-1A]]<br/>[[Kuaizhou#Models|Kuaizhou-11]]<br/>[[i-Space (Chinese company)#Hyperbola-1|Hyperbola-1]]<br/>[[Ceres-1]]<br/>[[Long March 11]]<br/>[[Jielong 1]]
}}
{{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  = Site 96
| status       = Active
| launches     = 4
| first_launch = 14 December 2022
| first_details= [[Zhuque-2]] / various satellites
| last_launch  = 27 November 2024
| last_details = [[Zhuque-2]] / Guangchuan-01 & 02
| rockets      = [[Zhuque-2]]
}}
{{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  = Site 120
| status       = Active
| launches     = 1
| first_launch = 2 April 2023
| first_details= [[Space_Pioneer#Rockets|Tianlong-2]] / Jinta
| last_launch  = 2 April 2023
| last_details = [[Space_Pioneer#Rockets|Tianlong-2]] / Jinta
| rockets      = [[Space_Pioneer#Rockets|Tianlong-2]]
}}
{{Infobox launch pad/pad
| designation  = Site 130
| status       = Active
| launches     = 5
| first_launch = 27 July 2022
| first_details= [[CAS_Space#Kinetica_1|Kinetica 1]] / SATech 01
| last_launch  = 11 November 2024
| last_details = [[Kinetica 1]] / 15 satellites
| rockets      = [[Kinetica 1]]
}}|status=Active|utc_offset=+8|time_zone=[[Time in China|China Standard]]}}{{Infobox Chinese
| title = {{nowrap|Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center}}
| s = {{nowrap|酒泉卫星发射中心}}
| t = {{nowrap|酒泉衛星發射中心}}
| p = {{nowrap|Jiǔquán wèixīng fāshè zhōngxīn}}
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|j|iu|3|q|van|2|-|wei|4|x|ing|1|-|f|a|1|sh|e|4|-|zh|ong|1|x|in|1}}
| order = st
}}
{{geogroup}}'''Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center''' ('''JSLC'''; {{zh|c=酒泉卫星发射中心|p=Jiǔquán Wèixīng Fāshè Zhōngxīn}} also known as Shuangchengzi Missile Test Center; Launch Complex B2; formally Northwest Comprehensive Missile Testing Facility ({{lang|zh|西北综合导弹试验基地}}); Base 20; 63600 Unit)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nti.org/learn/facilities/71/|title=Jiuquan Space Launch Center - Facilities - NTI|website=www.nti.org|access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref> is a Chinese [[space vehicle]] launch facility ([[spaceport]]) located between the [[Ejin Banner|Ejin]], [[Alxa League|Alxa]], [[Inner Mongolia]] and Hangtian Town, [[Jinta County]], [[Jiuquan]], [[Gansu|Gansu Province]].<ref>The clear division is controversial'''.'''</ref> It is part of the '''Dongfeng Aerospace City''' (Base 10). Because 95% of JSLC located in Jinta County, Jiuquan, the launch center is named after Jiuquan. The launch center straddles both sides of the [[Ruo Shui]] river.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-asia-space-race/chinasidebar.html | title=This Military Base is Where China Blasts Humans into Space | newspaper=Bloomberg.com }}</ref>
== History ==
It was founded in 1958, the first of China's four spaceports. As with most Chinese launch facilities, it is remote and generally closed to foreigners.
The Satellite Launch Center is a part of Dongfeng Space City ({{lang|zh|东风航天城}}), also known as ''Base 10'' ({{lang|zh|十号基地}}) or ''Dongfeng base'' ({{lang|zh|东风基地}}).  The Dongfeng site also includes [[People's Liberation Army Air Force]] (PLAAF) test flight facilities, a space museum and a so-called martyr's cemetery ({{lang|zh|东风烈士陵园}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmg.xinhuanet.com/nmgdcy/lvyou/2007-12/05/content_11855918.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724233031/http://www.nmg.xinhuanet.com/nmgdcy/lvyou/2007-12/05/content_11855918.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 24, 2009|title=航天科技游圣地——东风航天城 (The Jerusalem of the space tech journey-Dongfeng space city)|publisher=新华网内蒙古频道 (Xinhua network inner-Mongol channel)|date=December 5, 2007|access-date=May 7, 2008|language=zh}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=September 2022}}
JSLC is usually used to launch vehicles into lower and medium orbits with large orbital inclination angles, as well as testing medium to long-range [[missiles]]. Its facilities are state of the art and provide support to every phase of a satellite launch campaign.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} The site includes the Technical Center, the Launch Complex, the Launch Control Center, the Mission Command and Control Center and various other logistical support systems.
The center covers 2800&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and may have housing for as many as 20,000 people. The facilities and launch support equipment were likely modelled on Soviet counterparts and the [[Soviet Union]] likely provided technical support to Jiuquan.{{cn|date=September 2022}}
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center was expanded during the [[Third Front (China)|Third Front]] campaign to develop basic industry and national defense industry in China's rugged interior to prepare for potential invasion by the Soviet Union or the United States.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Meyskens |first=Covell F. |url= |title=Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China |date=2020 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-108-78478-8 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |doi=10.1017/9781108784788 |oclc=1145096137 |s2cid=218936313}}</ref>{{Rp|page=218}}
The launch center has been the focus of many of China's ventures into space, including their first [[satellite]] ''[[Dong Fang Hong I]]''
in 1970,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Meyskens |first=Covell F. |url= |title=Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China |date=2020 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-108-78478-8 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |doi=10.1017/9781108784788 |oclc=1145096137 |s2cid=218936313}}</ref>{{Rp|page=218}} and their first [[manned space mission|crewed space mission]] ''[[Shenzhou 5]]'' on 15 October 2003.  As of 2021, all Chinese crewed space flights, meaning all flights in the [[Shenzhou program]] including crewed flights to the [[Tiangong space station]], have launched from Jiuquan.{{cn|date=September 2022}}
In August 2016, China launched the first quantum communication satellite, the "[[Quantum Experiments at Space Scale]]", from the center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/33760-china-launches-quantum-communications-satellite.html|title=China Launches Pioneering 'Hack-Proof' Quantum-Communications Satellite|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=August 16, 2016|website=space.com|publisher=[[Space.com]]|access-date=August 16, 2016}}</ref>
In August 2018, Chinese private rocket manufacturing startups [[I-Space (Chinese company)|i-Space]] and [[OneSpace]] launched [[Sub-orbital spaceflight|sub-orbital]] rockets from the center.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://spacenews.com/chinese-startups-onespace-ispace-succeed-with-suborbital-launches/|title=Chinese startups OneSpace, iSpace succeed with suborbital launches|last=Jones|first=Andrew|date=2018-09-07 |access-date=2018-09-10}}</ref> On 25 July 2019, the first Chinese private orbital launch took place from Jiuquan as [[I-Space (Chinese company)|I-Space]] launched their Hyperbola-1 rocket.{{cn|date=September 2022}}
==Launch pads==
The launch site comprises two launch complexes, each containing several launch locations. All the launch statistics reported below are up to date as of December 2023.
=== North Launch Complex ===
The North Launch Complex consists in two different launch areas, both currently inactive.
*'''Launch Area 2''': used for both orbital launches and ballistic missile tests.
** '''LA-2A''': used for launches of the [[DF-3]] and [[DF-5]] ballistic missiles and hosted the first Chinese orbital launches, carried out through the [[Long March 1|CZ-1]] launch vehicle. It hasn't hosted orbital launch attempts since 1971. ({{Coord|41.3088|100.3165|name=LA-2A}})
** '''LA-2B''': used for orbital launches of the [[CZ-2A]], [[CZ-2C]], [[CZ-2D]] and [[FB-1]] launch vehicles. It has been last used in 1996. ({{Coord|41.3061|100.3132|name=LA-2B}})
*'''Launch Area 3''': situated approximately 2.7&nbsp;km south of Launch Area 2, used for launches of the [[Dongfeng (missile)#Dongfeng 1 (SS-2)|DF-1]], [[DF-2]] and [[R-2 (missile)|R-2]] ballistic missiles.
**'''North pad''' (located at approximately {{Coord|41.2831|100.3047|name=LA-3 north pad}})
**'''South pad''' (located at approximately  {{Coord|41.2804|100.3045|name=LA-3 south pad}} )
=== South Launch Complex ===
The South Launch complex is currently active and consists in a main launch area used by [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation|CASC]] to handle the launches of several [[Long March (rocket family)|Long March]] vehicles and a variety of concrete pads for small rocket launches.
*'''[[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|Launch Area 4]]''': it's situated approximately 37.9&nbsp;km south of Launch Area 3.
** '''SLS-1''' ('''LS-43/91'''): it has been used since 1999 for the launches of the crew-rated [[CZ-2F]] launcher and it's equipped with a nearby Vertical Assembly Facility. ({{Coord|40.960671|100.298186|name=SLS-1}})
** '''SLS-2''' ('''LS-43/94'''): operational since 2003, it has been hosting launches of various medium-lift launch vehicles of the Long March family, including [[Long March 2C|CZ-2C]], [[Long March 2D|CZ-2D]], [[Long March 4B|CZ-4B]] and [[Long March 4C|CZ-4C]]. ({{Coord|40.957893|100.290944|name=SLS-2}})
*'''Commercial launch pads''': situated in multiple locations south and east of Launch Area 4, they're used for small rocket launches of different government-owned and private companies.
**'''LS-95''': consisting in two pads, it has hosted launches of the [[Long March 11]], [[Kuaizhou]], [[Jielong 1]], [[OS-M1]], [[Hyperbola-1]] and [[Ceres-1]] launch vehicles. The first launch, a test flight of the [[Kuaizhou-1]] rocket, took place on 25 September 2013, while the last one was a [[Kuaizhou 1A]] launch on 11 January 2024.
***'''Pad A''' ({{Coord|40.9698|100.3439|name=LS-95A}}), the most used, accounts for a total of 47 launch attempts
***'''Pad B''' ({{Coord|40.9725|100.3639|name=LS-95B}}) hosted only 5 launches.
**'''LS-96''': a single pad handled by the private company [[LandSpace]] for the launches of its [[Zhuque-2]] launch vehicle. It has hosted 3 launches so far, two of which successful. ({{Coord|40.9149|100.2454|name=LS-96}})
**'''LS-120''': a single pad handled by the private company [[Space Pioneer]] for the launches if its [[Tianlong-2]] launch vehicle. It has hosted only one successful launch as of today. ({{Coord|40.8556|100.1992|name=LS-120}})
**'''LS-130''': a single pad handled by the state-owned company [[CAS Space]] for the launches of their [[Kinetica 1]] launch vehicle. It has hosted 3 successful launches as of today. ({{Coord|40.8186|100.2240|name=LS-130}})
==Launches==
===Previous launches===
{| class=wikitable
! Date ([[Universal Time Coordinate|UTC]])
! Vehicle
! Serial number
! Launch Pad
! Payload
! Outcome
! Notes
|-
| 24 April 1970 13:35
| [[Long March 1]]
| Y1
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 2|LA-2A]]
| [[Dong Fang Hong 1]]
| {{Success}}
| First satellite launched by China.
|-
| 3 March 1971 12:15
| [[Long March 1]]
| Y2
| LA-2A
| [[Shijian|Shijian 1]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 18 September 1973
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 2|LA-2B]]
| [[Ji Shu Shiyan Weixing|JSSW-1]]
| {{Failure}}
|
|-
| 12 July 1974
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| JSSW-2
| {{Failure}}
|
|-
| 5 November 1974
| [[Long March 2]]
|
| LA-2B
| [[Fanhui Shi Weixing|FSW-0 0]]
| {{Failure}}
| Maiden flight of Long March 2.
|-
| 26 July 1975
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| JSSW-3
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 26 November 1975
| [[Long March 2]]
|
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 1
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 16 December 1975
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| JSSW-4
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 30 August 1976
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| JSSW-5
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 10 November 1975
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| JSSW-6
| {{Failure}}
|
|-
| 7 December 1976
| [[Long March 2]]
|
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 26 January 1978
| [[Long March 2]]
|
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 3
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 28 July 1979
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| Shijian-2A
| {{Failure}}
|
|-
| 20 September 1981
| [[Feng Bao 1]]
|
| LA-2B
| Shijian-2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 9 September 1982
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y1
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 4
| {{Success}}
| Maiden flight of the Long March 2C.
|-
| 19 August 1983
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y2
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 5
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 12 September 1984
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y3
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 6
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 21 October 1985
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y4
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 7
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 6 October 1986
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y5
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 8
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 5 August 1987
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y6
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 9
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 9 September 1987
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y7
| LA-2B
| FSW-1 1
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 5 August 1988
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y8
| LA-2B
| FSW-1 2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 5 October 1990
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y9
| LA-2B
| FSW-1 3
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 9 August 1992
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y1
| LA-2B
| FSW-0 5
| {{Success}}
| Maiden flight of the Long March 2D.
|-
| 6 October 1992
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y10
| LA-2B
| FSW-1 4<br/>{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Freja (satellite)|Freja]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 8 October 1993
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y11
| LA-2B
| FSW-1 5
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 3 July 1994
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y2
| LA-2B
| FSW-2 2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 20 October 1996
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y3
| LA-2B
| FSW-2 3
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 20 November 1999
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y1
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-1]]
| [[Shenzhou 1]]
| {{Success}}
| Maiden flight of Long March 2F.
|-
| 9 January 2001
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y2
| SLS-1
| [[Shenzhou 2]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 25 March 2002
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y3
| SLS-1
| [[Shenzhou 3]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 29 December 2002
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y4
| SLS-1
| [[Shenzhou 4]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 15 October 2003
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y5
| SLS-1
| [[Shenzhou 5]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 3 November 2003
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y4
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-2]]
| FSW-3 1
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 19 August 2004
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| FSW-4 1
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 27 September 2004
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| FSW-3 2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 6 July 2005
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| Shijian-7
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 2 August 2005
| [[Long March 2C]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| FSW-4 2
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 29 August 2005
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| FSW-3 3
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 12 October 2005
| [[Long March 2F]]
| Y6
| SLS-1
| [[Shenzhou 6]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 9 September 2006
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| Shijian-8
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 25 May 2007
| [[Long March 2D]]
| Y
| SLS-2
| [[Yaogan|Yaogan 2]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
| 25 April 2024 12:59
| [[Long March 2F]]
| 2F-Y18
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-1]]
| [[Shenzhou 18]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
|30 October 2024
|[[Long March 2F|Long March 2F/G]]
|2F-Y19
|[[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-1]]
|[[Shenzhou 19]]
| {{Success}}
|
|-
|}
===Upcoming launches===
{| class=wikitable
! Date
! Vehicle
! Serial number
! Launch Pad
! Payload
! Outcome
! Notes
|-
| April 2025
| [[Long March 2F|Long March 2F/G]]
| 2F-Y20
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-1]]
| [[Shenzhou 20]]
| {{Planned}}
|
|-
| October 2025
| [[Long March 2F|Long March 2F/G]]
| 2F-Y21
| [[Jiuquan Launch Area 4|SLS-1]]
| [[Shenzhou 21]]
| {{Planned}}
|
|-
|}
== Image gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:KH7 ShuanchengtzuMissileCenterA19670529.png|[[KH-7 Gambit|KH-7]] satellite image of the Shuang Cheng Tzu Missile Center A (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre) in 1967.
File:Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center warning board.jpg|A warning board at the gate.
File:Jiuquan VAB.png|Launch Vehicle Vertical Assembly Building.
File:Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with sign.jpg|Tower 1 and 2 behind a sign.
File:Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center tower.jpg|Launch tower.
File:Long March 2D launching off pad with VRSS-1.jpg|Launch of [[Long March 2D|LM-2D]] ([[VRSS-1|VRSS-1 / Miranda]]).
File:Jiuquan Launch Center Vertical Assembly Building.png|Roll out of [[Long March 2F|CZ-2F]] ([[Shenzhou 12|Shenzhou-12]]).
File:Shenzhou 12 launch (cropped).jpg|Launch of [[Long March 2F|CZ-2F]]([[Shenzhou 12|Shenzhou-12]]).
File:Shenzhou 13 roll out.jpg|Roll out of [[Long March 2F|CZ-2F]] ([[Shenzhou 13|Shenzhou-13]]).
File:Shenzhou 14 roll out.jpg|Roll out of [[Long March 2F|CZ-2F]] ([[Shenzhou 14]]).
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[Chinese space program]]
* [[Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center]]
* [[Wenchang Satellite Launch Center]]
* [[Xichang Satellite Launch Center]]
*[[Hyperbola-1 ]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center}}
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/jiuquan.htm Base 20 Jiuquan Space Facility] on GlobalSecurity.org
{{Chinese launch complexes}}
{{Chinese space facilities and organizations}}
{{CNSA space program}}
{{Spaceport}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Alxa League]]
[[Category:Chinese space program facilities]]
[[Category:Spaceports in China]]
[[Category:Infrastructure completed in 1958]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in China]]
[[Category:Jiuquan]]
[[Category:Rocket launch sites in China]]