Long March 2D | CAS Pathfinder-1

Launch Successful

Launch timeWed, 11 Nov 2026, 11:41 UTC · RocketLong March 2DProviderChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Launch siteLaunch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaTarget orbitSun-Synchronous Orbit MissionTechnology

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Mission

The Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)' Pathfinder-1 satellites is built for in-orbit validation of critical technologies for the upcoming main missions of CAS' "Origins” Space Science Program, which consists of 4 upcoming astronomical observatory missions to be launched by 2030:

* Discovering the Sky at the Longest wavelength (DSL
* Solar Polar Orbit Observatory (SPO)
* Earth 2.0 (ET)
* Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP)

The mission consists of a main satellite and 3 sub-satellites, the later of which flies in formation to demonstrate a low frequency radio astronomy interferometry instrument.

The main satellite also contains the following science instrument:
* Very Large Area Gamma-ray Space Telescope Pathfinder (VLAST-P)
* a magnetometer (MHI)
* an upper atmosphere LiDAR (HiRAL)
* a Langmuir Probe (LMP)
* a space weather monitor (SWEM)

Updated: 14 Nov 2026, 00:27 UTC · Privacy & legal · Data: The Space Devs, CelesTrak