Xichang Satellite Launch Center

Xichang Satellite Launch Center
Xichang Satellite Launch Center
Simplified Chinese	西昌卫星发射中心
Traditional Chinese	西昌衛星發射中心
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xīchāng Wèixīng Fāshè Zhōngxīn

Xichang Satellite Launch Center
	The launch of Long March 3B Rocket, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China.
Location	Xichang, Liangshan, Sichuan
Coordinates	28°14′45.66″N 102°1′35.60″E / 28.2460167°N 102.0265556°E
Short name	XSLC
Operator	CASC
Total launches	205
Launch pad(s)	Two
Status
Launch Complex 2 launch history
Status	Active
Launches	114
First launch	15 July 1990; Long March 2E / Badr A & Aussat B-MFS
Last launch	9 May 2024; Long March 3B/E / Zhihui Tianwang 1-01A/B
Associated; rockets	Long March 2E; Long March 3A; Long March 3B; Long March 3C
Launch Complex 3 launch history
Status	Active
Launches	86
First launch	29 January 1984; Long March 3 / DFH-2 01
Last launch	20 April 2024; Long March 2D / Yaogan 42-02
Associated; rockets	Long March 3; Long March 2C; Long March 3A; Long March 3B; Long March 3C; Long March 4C; Long March 2D

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

The Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), also known as the Xichang Space Center, is a spaceport in China. It is located in Zeyuan Town (泽远镇), approximately 64 kilometers (40 mi) northwest of Xichang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan.

The facility became operational in 1984 and is used to launch numerous civil, scientific, and military payloads annually.^[1]^[2] It is notable as the site of Sino-European space cooperation, with the launch of the first of two Double Star scientific satellites in December 2003. Chinese officials have indicated interest in conducting additional international satellite launches from XSLC.^[3]

In 1996, a fatal accident occurred when the rocket carrying the Intelsat 708 satellite failed on launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, killing at least 6 people in a nearby village. Uncontrolled debris from launches continues to fall in the vicinity, most recently in December 2023.^[4]

A 2007 test of an anti-satellite missile was launched from the center.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ Weitering, Hanneke (March 24, 2020). "China's Long March 2C rocket launches military surveillance satellites into orbit". Space.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
^ Howell, Elizabeth (March 12, 2020). "China's new navigation system is nearly complete with penultimate Beidou satellite launch". Space.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
^ "Dongfanghong IV ready for more int'l satellite orders". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008.
^ "China launches new Beidou satellites, rocket booster lands near house". December 26, 2023.

[2] Weitering, Hanneke (March 24, 2020). "China's Long March 2C rocket launches military surveillance satellites into orbit". Space.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

[3] Howell, Elizabeth (March 12, 2020). "China's new navigation system is nearly complete with penultimate Beidou satellite launch". Space.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

[4] "Dongfanghong IV ready for more int'l satellite orders". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008.

[5] "China launches new Beidou satellites, rocket booster lands near house". December 26, 2023.

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]