China launches clandestine TJS-13 satellite, rocket reaches milestone (Image Credit: Space News)
HELSINKI — China launched a new communication engineering test satellite early Tuesday, adding to a series of satellites potentially for undisclosed military purposes.
A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 12:56 a.m. Eastern (0556 UTC) Dec. 3 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success, revealing the previously undisclosed payload to be communication technology experiment Satellite-13, or Tongxin Jishu Shiyan-13 (TJS-13). The satellite is expected to be in geosynchronous transfer orbit.
The TJS-13 satellite will be used for satellite communication, radio and television, data transmission and other services, and will also carry out related technology tests, according to Chinese state media. However, the lack of specific details surrounding the TJS-13 satellite, consistent with earlier TJS missions, suggests potential dual-use or military-related capabilities.
TJS spacecraft are geostationary satellites, potentially carrying out classified missions including signals intelligence, early warning missions and satellite inspection activities.
TJS-3, launched in 2018, released a subsatellite which carried out subsequent maneuvers indicating it was a subsatellite capable of coordinated movements with TJS-3. The main satellite later made close approaches to U.S. satellites.
TJS-10 and TJS-11 launched on a Long March 7A rocket in November 2023 and a Long March 7 in February 2024 respectively. These satellites were likewise described as being used to carry out multi-band, high-speed satellite communication technology verification.
The launch was, notably, the 100th of the workhorse Long March 3B. The rocket has performed 96 successful launches with two failures and two partial failures. The first launch, in February 1996 carrying Intelsat 708, infamously saw the rocket veer off course shortly after clearing the tower and impacting a nearby village.
Developed by CASC’s China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the three-stage and four-liquid-booster rocket is the only Chinese launcher to reach 100 launches. There have been more than 500 Long March rocket launches.
The Long March 3B launched the Beidou GNSS constellation, a number of Chang’e lunar missions, Tianlian and Fengyun series satellites and others, and international communications satellites. It is expected to launch the Tianwen-2 near Earth asteroid sample return mission in May 2025.
The launch of TJS-13 was China’s 60th orbital launch attempt of 2024. The country was aiming for around 100 launches this year but appears far short of that tally.
It follows the debut launch of the Long March 12 single-core medium-lift rocket from a new commercial spaceport Nov. 30. A Long March 8 rocket could launch from the spaceport before the end of the year. The third batch of satellites for the Qianfan/Thousand Sails megaconstellation is expected to launch on a Long March 6A rocket late Dec. 3 Eastern.