Surprise, relief as China’s key satellite makes it to orbit despite rocket launch failure
But the communication probe may have wiped two or three years off its lifespan by burning precious fuel to get back on track, scientist says
Chinese space authorities say an important communication satellite is now where it should be after it veered off course during a failed rocket launch last month.
The ChinaSat 9A probe was steered towards its target orbit on Wednesday, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said. It had ended up in the wrong orbit after the unsuccessful launch of the Long March 3B, or CZ-2B, on June 19.
The corporation, which carries out most of the country’s space activities, said the satellite’s small thrusters had been fired up 10 times via its flight control centre in Xian, Shaanxi province. On Thursday it reached and remained at a fixed point above the equator in Southeast Asia – its original destination.
Hu Weiduo, a spacecraft navigation and control scientist at Beihang University’s astronautics school, said the operation’s success was a relief. He said the manoeuvre was not uncommon – it’s been done by countries including Russia and the United States many times before – but it showed China was making progress on space technology and hardware.