Tiankun-1 (also known as TK-1) is a Chinese experimental technology demonstration satellite developed, operated, and launched by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). It was launched on March 2, 2017, and is designed in order to test its satellite bus,[4][5] as well as small satellite operations.[6]
| Names | TK-1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
| Operator | CASIC |
| COSPAR ID | 2017-012A[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 42061[1] |
| Mission duration | 5 years, 3 months and 16 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | CASIC |
| Launch mass | 50 kg (110 lb)[2] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 2, 2017 (2017-03-02) |
| Rocket | Kaituozhe-2 |
| Launch site | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[3] |
| Contractor | CASIC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 6,766 km (4,204 mi) |
| Perigee altitude | 373.3 km (232.0 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 417.3 km (259.3 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.2° |
| Period | 92.3 minutes |
Tiankun-1 is a small satellite designed to test technologies meant for satellites of such sizes, as well as experiment with the operation of small satellites. With its small launch vehicles, China hopes to be able to get a share in the international small satellite launch market.[3][6]
Tiankun-1's mission is to test out its satellite bus and performance in orbit. It would also be used for testing remote sensing and telecommunications technologies, as well as test out minisatellite-based experiments and operations. It is the first spacecraft to be developed by the CASIC as part of its plans to expand its commercial space plans.[5][6]
Tiankun-1 was launched on board a Kaituozhe-2 rocket, which is a then-new small launch vehicle. It launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on March 2, 2017, at 07:53 CST (23:53 UTC) into a polar orbit. It was the Kaituozhe-2's first launch, and its first successful one. It was launched to a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 373.3 km (232.0 mi), an apogee of 417.3 km (259.3 mi) and an inclination of 97.2°.[1][2]
← 2016 · Orbital launches in 2017 · 2018 → | |
|---|---|
| January | TJS-2 – Lingqiao / Jilin-1 03 · Caton-1 · Xingyun Shiyan 1 – Iridium NEXT 1–10 – TRICOM-1 – USA-273 / SBIRS GEO-3 – DSN-2 – Hispasat AG1 |
| February | Intelsat 32e / SkyBrasil1 · Telkom-3S – Cartosat-2D · INS-1A, 1B · Flock-3p × 88 · Lemur-2 × 8 · Al Farabi-1 · BGUSAT · DIDO-2 · Nayif 1 · PEASS – Dragon CRS-10 – Progress MS-05 |
| March | USA-274 / NROL-79 / Intruder 8 – Tiankun-1 – Sentinel-2B – EchoStar 23 – IGS-Radar 5 – USA-275 / WGS-9 – SES-10 |
| April | Shijian 13 – Cygnus CRS OA-7 · (ALTAIR · CXBN-2 · IceCube · SG-Sat · SHARC) – Soyuz MS-04 – Tianzhou 1 · SilkRoad-1 |
| May | USA-276 / NROL-76 – Koreasat 7 · SGDC-1 – GSAT 9 / South Asia Satellite – Inmarsat-5 F4 – SES-15 – "It's a Test" – EKS-2 |
| June | QZS-2 – ViaSat-2 · Eutelsat 172B – Dragon CRS-11 · NICER · Birds-1 (TOKI · GhanaSat-1 · Mazaalai · BRAC Onnesha · Nigeria EduSat-1) – GSAT-19 – EchoStar 21 – Progress MS-06 – HXMT / Insight · Zhuhai-1 01, 02 · ÑuSat 3 – ChinaSat 9A – Cartosat-2E · Aalto-1 · ROBUSTA-1B · Max Valier Sat – Nivelir-ZU (14F150) – BulgariaSat-1 – Iridium NEXT-2 – EuropaSat/Hellas Sat 3 · GSAT-17 |
| July | Shijian-18 – Intelsat 35e – Kanopus-V-IK · CICERO × 3 · Corvus-BC × 2 · Ecuador-UTE-YuZGU · Flock-2k × 48 · Flying Laptop · Iskra-MAI-85 · Lemur-2 × 8 · MKA-N × 2 · Mayak · NORSAT-1, -2 · NanoACE · TechnoSat · WNISAT-1R – Soyuz MS-05 |
| August | OPTSAT-3000 · VENµS – Dragon CRS-12 · ASTERIA – Blagovest 11L – TDRS-M – Michibiki 3 – Formosat-5 – ORS-5 – IRNSS-1H |
| September | USA-277 / OTV-5 – Amazonas 5 – Soyuz MS-06 – Kosmos 2522 / GLONASS-M 752 – USA-278 / NROL-42 – AsiaSat 9 – Yaogan-30-01 × 3 – Intelsat 37e · BSAT-4a |
| October | VRSS-2 – Iridium NEXT 21–30 – QZS-4 – SES-11 / EchoStar 105 – Sentinel-5 Precursor – Progress MS-07 – USA-279 / NROL-52 / Quasar 21 – Koreasat 5A – SkySat × 6 · Flock-3m × 4 |
| November | BeiDou-3 M1 · M2 – Mohammed VI-A – Cygnus CRS OA-8E · Asgardia-1 – Fengyun-3D · HEAD-1 – NOAA-20 – Jilin-1 × 3 – Yaogan-30-02 × 3 – Meteor-M No.2-1 |
| December | Kosmos 2524 – LKW-1 – Alcomsat-1 – Galileo FOC 15-18 – Dragon CRS-13 – Soyuz MS-07 – GCOM-C · SLATS – Iridium NEXT 31–40 – Yaogan-30-03 × 3 – AngoSat 1 |
Launches are separated by dashes ( – ), payloads by dots ( · ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). CubeSats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in brackets). | |