China satellite aborts mission after 'malfunction'
This file photo shows a Chinese 'Long March' being launched into space. An new "experimental" satellite failed to reach its designated orbit after its rocket malfunctioned, according to state media.
An "experimental" satellite launched by China failed to reach its designated orbit after its rocket malfunctioned, according to state media.
Orbiter SJ-11-04, which was propelled by a Long March II-C rocket, was launched on Thursday but was unable to complete its mission "due to a malfunction of the rocket", the official Xinhua news agency said.
The report said the satellite was an "experimental orbiter" but did not disclose further details.
Observers on the web forum NASASpaceFlight.com have speculated that China was due to use the satellite as part of an operational early warning defence system, but AFP was unable to confirm the information from official sources.
According to the forum, this is the first time the Long March II-C rocket has failed after 35 successful launches, and only the second time China has had to abort a satellite mission since February 1996.
Xinhua said authorities were investigating the specific cause of the rocket's failure.
China's space programme -- launched in the early 1990s thanks to the acquisition of Russian technology -- has become a symbol of its growing global stature.
In 2003, China became the world's third nation to put a man in space independently, after the United States and Russia.
In October last year, it launched its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2 -- the next step in a bold programme to become the second country to put a man on the moon. Beijing also plans to build its own space station.
(c) 2011 AFP
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Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
What better way to determine if we can actually shoot down a potential enemy's missiles?
We really need to weaponize space before the chinese, japs, germans, and russians.
Aug 19, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Aug 19, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
It's ok. Our "experimental" satellites probably shot it down.
Is that an infrared weather satellite? Or an infrared LASER satellite?
BOOM!
The Navy probably has a cloaked, geostationary orbiting spy satelite armed with a laser sitting right over the top of their launch pad.
Pew...pew...pew...
Aug 19, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
The caption clearly states this is only a *file photo* of a Long March rocket. A google search revealed this is a picture of the launch of China's first manned mission in 2003. This is a Long March 2F booster, mated to the Shenzhou 5 capsule:
http://np.china-e...7279.htm
http://en.wikiped...March_2F
The article notes the booster that failed was the smaller Long March II-C(2C)carrier rocket: http://en.wikiped...March_2C
Aug 22, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Wow, raging paranoia!
Why do you feel it's necessary to weaponize space? Do you really think that it should be the US's perogitive to maintain 'peace' from space because all them foreigners will destroy the world if we let them?