Second Double Star satellite successfully launched
26 July 2004
Yesterday, 25 July at 07:05 UT (15:05 local time) the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully launched TC-2, the second of two scientific satellites known as Double Star. This marks the next important milestone in this joint scientific collaboration between China and the European Space Agency (ESA).The spacecraft, called 'Tan Ce 2' which in Chinese means 'Explorer 2,' took off from the Chinese launch base in Taiyuan spaceport, west of Beijing (Shanxi Province), on board a Long March 2C launcher. The launch, initially scheduled for today, 26 July, took place one day earlier in order to avoid adverse weather conditions expected in the days to come. The spacecraft will join 'Tan Ce 1', the first satellite launched on 29 December 2003 to complete the Double Star mission.
For more details on the launch see ESA PR 43-2004
Last Update: 1 September 2019
