TIANLIAN 1-01
2008-04-25
Satellite information TIANLIAN 1-01
| Spacetrack Directory Name | TIANLIAN 1-01 |
| Orbit launches |
2008-04-25 |
| Country/organisation of origin | Chiny (PRC) |
| Starting point | XICLF (Xichang Launch Facility, China) |
| WWW | Here |
| Categories | |
| Perigee | 35651 km |
| Apogee | 35922 km |
Additional information TIANLIAN 1-01
Tianlian I (Simplified Chinese: ????, Traditional Chinese: ????, English: Sky Chain), also known as Tian Lian 1, TL-1, and CTDRS-1 is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite series. Based on the DFH-3 satellite bus, it will provide communication coverage for manned Shenzhou missions, from Shenzhou 7 onwards. Functionally, it is similar to the United States Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
The first satellite of the series, Tianlian I-01, was launched on the maiden flight of the Long March 3C carrier rocket, at 15:35 GMT on 25 April 2008, from LC-2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Tianlian I-01 is able to cover around half of the spacecraft's trajectory, compared to around 12 percent which had been covered using tracking stations and a fleet of ships. Tianlian I-02 was launched on 11 July 2011, Tianlian I-03 on 25 July 2012 and Tianlian I-04 on 22 November 2016. The satellites are in geostationary orbit.
