China Launches Pathfinder Satellite with Unknown Purpose into Orbit
On November 11, the Pathfinder satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome aboard a Long March-2D rocket. The exact tasks of the spacecraft have not yet been disclosed.
According to Chinese state media, the launch took place at 19:41 local time. The rocket delivered the spacecraft to its designated orbit. The mission marked the 677th flight of the Long March rocket family.
The satellite was developed under the Origin Exploration program, but details about its equipment and specific tasks remain undisclosed. The program's name alone is insufficient to confirm that the spacecraft will study the origins of the universe.
The two-stage Long March-2D rocket was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It operates on liquid fuel and can carry up to 1.3 tons of payload to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km. The launch vehicle is designed for both single and multiple satellite launches.
