13 July 2022
On 13 July, a CZ-3B/E rocket took off from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the early morning at 00:30 BJT and lifted the Tianlian 2-03 into a geostationary transfer orbit.
The satellite will form a global network of the country's 2nd-generation relay satellites Tianlian 2-01 and Tianlian 2-02. The relay system is expected to extensively improve the nation's space-based control, tracking and data relay capabilities. So far, 8 Tianlian satellites - 5 in the Tianlian 1 series (all still active) and now 3 in Tianlian 2 series - have been launched. Compared with the 1st-generation, Tianlian 2 satellites are more capable, more durable and have a heavier carrying capacity, according to satellite designers at the China Academy of Space Technology.
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More on the launch at NASA Spaceflight.com