Over the weekend, China launched the latest in a series of top-secret satellites, the Shiyan Satellite.
The Long March 4C rocket was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China at 7:43 p.m. EDT (23:43 Japan time, 7:43 a.m. Beijing time May 12) on May 11. It was launched from.Chinese authorities revealed Once the launch is declared successful, the mission payload will be Shiyan-23.
Chinese authorities have not provided satellite images. The only description of the spacecraft states that Shiyan-23 will be used for space environment monitoring.
Related: China launches mysterious artificial satellite Shiyan-20C into orbit (video)
This vague description is fairly standard for the classified Shiyan satellite series, whose name translates as “experiment.” Satellites may perform different tasks, operate in different orbits, and test different new technologies.
China has launched at least 36 Shiyan satellites in the past 20 years. According to SpacePolicyOnline, at least one of the craft performed an “unusual satellite maneuver” that surprised observers.
This mission was China’s 522nd flight. long march A series of launch rockets.The country aims to 100 missions this year.
The Chang’e 6 lunar sample return mission, launched earlier this month, Currently in orbit around the moon It is preparing to attempt a landing in the coming weeks. If successful, it will be the world’s first mission to bring back samples from the far side of the moon.
