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The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
The Double Star spacecraft, called also Tan Ce (TC) which in Chinese means ‘Probe‘, is a joint Chinese and ESA mission to study the effect of the Sun on the Earth's environment. The polar spacecraft (TC-2) will monitor the energy input from the solar wind into the polar ionosphere. The equatorial spacecraft (TC-1) will investigate the so-called substorm process, when it is in the Earth's magnetotail, and the entry of solar particle on the front side of the magnetosphere.
Height 42.00 Meters
Max Stages 3
Mass To GTO 1440 kg
Liftoff Thrust 2962 kN
Diameter 3.35 Meters
Mass To LEO 3850 kg
Liftoff Mass 233 Tonnes
Launch Success 2
Consecutive Success 2
Maiden Flight 2003-12-29
Launch Failures 0