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Spacecraft

  • Two magnetospheric spacecraft to be built and operated by the Chinese Space Agency (CNSA).
  • Programme accepted by Chinese government on 28 September 2000.
  • Cooperation agreement signed between ESA and China on: 9 July 2001.
  • Equatorial satellite TC-1 (550 x 63 780 kilometres, inclination 28.5o) launched 29 December 2003.
  • Polar satellite TC-2 (700 x 39 000 kilometres, inclination 90o) launched 25 July 2004.

Double Star spacecraft in launch configuration (courtesy Chinese Academy of Space  Technology, CAST).

Diameter:

2.1 m

Height:

1.4 m

Mass:

330 kg

(of which) Scientific payload:

30 kg

Solar array power:

260 W (BOL), 210 W (EOL)

Spin rate:

15 rpm

Operational lifetime:

18 months

Double Star spacecraft in flight configuration (courtesy Chinese Academy of Space Technology, CAST).

Last Update: 1 September 2019
24-Jan-2026 12:27 UT

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