Long March 2D: CAS Pathfinder-1
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)
Result
Launch Successful
Long March 2D: CAS Pathfinder-1 launched on 11 November 2026 at 11:41 UTC from Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China.
Mission Data
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
About Long March 2D
The Long March 2D, also known as the Chang Zheng 2D, CZ-2D and LM-2D, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is a 2-stage carrier rocket mainly used for launching LEO and SSO satellites.
Launch Site
Launch data from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.