Long March 11 Sends Two GECAM Satellites into Space

A Long March 11 carrier rocket was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Dec 10, sending two gravitational wave detection satellites into selected orbit.

Developed by Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites, the Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) mission consists of two microsatellites which will detect high-energy radiation phenomena in space.

So far, the Long March 11 carrier rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, has completed nine ground and two offshore launches.

The launch on Dec 10 is the 355th mission of the Long March rocket series.

A Long March 11 carrier rocket, carrying two gravitational wave detection satellites, is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Dec 10. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

A close look at the Long March 11 carrier rocket in the workshop [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)