Inaugural KT-2 Launch, March 02, 2017
China Launches Another New Rocket
China debuted the KT-2 (Kaitou 2) orbital launch vehicle on March 2, 2017. The solid-fuel, likely three-stage launch vehicle lifted off from the CZ-11 flat pad at Jiuquan space center at 23:53 UTC. KT-2 injected a small test satellite named TK-1 (Tiankong) into a 381 x 403 km x 96.9 deg sun synchronous orbit.
Xinhua reported that the TK-1 satellite was developed by CASIC to be used for “remote sensing, telecommunications and experiments in minisatellite-based technologies”.
China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC) also reportedly developed the launch vehicle. KT-2 may be based on the DF-31 mobile ICBM family, but that has yet to be determine.
According to Xinhua, KT-2 is one of five launch vehicles planned for development by CASIC. It is capable of lifting 350 kg to a low inclination low earth orbit or 250 kg to a 700 km sun synchronous orbit.
CZ-11, a similar DF-31 based rocket that first flew in 2015, was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). Two smaller, DF-21 based launchers, both by CASIC, have also flown: Kuaizhou 1(A) beginning in 2013 and KT-1, which failed in two attempts during 2002-2003.
Also read: KSLV-2 – Space Launch Report
Vehicle Configurations
| LEO Payload (metric tons) | Configuration | LIftoff Height (meters) | Liftoff Mass (metric tons) | ||
| KT-2 | 0.35 t (LEO x 40 deg) 0.25 t (700 km LEO/S) | Three solid stages, likely | ~20-21 m | ~58 t | |
* GEO: Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
Vehicle Components
| Stg 1 | Stg 2 | Stg 3 | Payload Fairing | ||
| Diameter (m) | 2 m | 2m | ~1.4 m | ~2.0 m | |
| Length (m) | ~9 m (incl I/S) | ~3 m (incl I/S) | ~1 m | ||
| Propellant Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Empty Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Total Mass (tonnes) | |||||
| Engine | |||||
| Engine Mfgr | |||||
| Fuel | Solid | Solid | Solid | ||
| Oxidizer | |||||
| Thrust (SL tons) | 120 t | ||||
| Thrust (Vac tons) | |||||
| ISP (SL sec) | |||||
| ISP (Vac sec) | |||||
| Burn Time (sec) | |||||
| No. Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 |
KT-2 Launch Log
KT-2 ORBITAL SPACE LAUNCH LOG DATE VEHICLE ID PAYLOAD MASS(t) SITE* ORBIT* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 03/02/17 KT-21 KT2-01 TK-1 JQ CZ11 LEO/S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Site Code: JQ = Jiuquan, China Orbit Code: EEO/M = Molynia (12-hr) Elliptical Earth Orbit FTO = Failed to Orbit FSO = Failed Suborbital GTO = Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit GTO+ = Supersynchronous or High Perigee Transfer Orbit GTO- = Subsynchronous Transfer Orbit GTOi = Inclined GTO GEO = Geosynchronous Orbit HCO = Heliocentric (solar) Orbit HTO = High Earth Transfer Orbit LEO = Low Earth Orbit LEO/S = Sun Synchronous Low Earth Orbit LEO/P = Polar Low Earth Orbit MEO = Medium Earth Orbit MTO = Medium Earth Transfer Orbit SUB = Suborbital xxx
