Baikonur, Xichang spaceports complete 2017 launch program

BAIKONUR. KAZINFORM Ukrainian-built Zenit booster and a Russian-made Fregat upper stage are set to launch tonight an Angolan communications satellite at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazinform correspondent reports.

The launch that completes the Baikonur launch program in the outgoing year, is scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Astana time, December 27.


This day, China launched remote sensing satellites at 1:44 a.m.(Beijing Time) on a Long March-2C carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to Xinhua .

The satellites have entered its preset orbit and the launch was proclaimed a success. As the third batch of the Yaogan-30 project, the satellites will conduct electromagnetic environmental probes and other experiments.

The launch is the 260th mission of the Long March rocket family and completes the 2017 Space Launch Program. In total, China launched 18 launch vehicles in 2017.