Tianlian-1
| Manufacturer | CAST |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Operator | CASC |
| Applications | Communications |
| Specifications | |
| Bus | DFH-3 |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Production | |
| Status | In service |
| Launched | 4 |
| Operational | 4 |
| First launch |
Tianlian I-01 25 April 2008 |
| Last launch |
Tianlian I-04 22 November 2016 |
Tianlian I (Simplified Chinese: 天链一号, Traditional Chinese: 天鏈一號, English: Sky Chain), also known as Tian Lian 1, TL-1, and CTDRS-1 is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite series. Based on the DFH-3 satellite bus, it will provide communication coverage for manned Shenzhou missions, from Shenzhou 7 onwards. Functionally, it is similar to the United States Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
The first satellite Tianlian I-01 of the series was launched on the maiden flight of the Long March 3C carrier rocket, at 15:35 GMT on 25 April 2008, from LC-2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.Tianlian I-01 is able to cover around half of the spacecraft's trajectory, compared to around 12 percent which had been covered using tracking stations and a fleet of ships. Tianlian I-02 was launched on 11 July 2011, Tianlian I-03 on 25 July 2012 and Tianlian I-04 on 22 November 2016. The satellites are in geostationary orbit.
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