Spaceflight

A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 12:56 a.m. Eastern (0556 UTC) Dec. 3 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success, revealing the previously undisclosed payload to be communication technology experiment Satellite-13, or Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-13 (TJS-13). The satellite is expected to be in geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The TJS-13 satellite will be used for satellite communication, radio and television, data transmission and other services, and will also carry out related technology tests, according to Chinese state media. However, the lack of specific details surrounding the TJS-13 satellite, consistent with earlier TJS missions, suggests potential dual-use or military-related capabilities

The launch was, notably, the 100th of the workhorse Long March 3B. The rocket has performed 96 successful launches with two failures and two partial failures. The first launch, in February 1996 carrying Intelsat 708, infamously saw the rocket veer off course shortly after clearing the tower and impacting a nearby village.

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