🚀 Chang Zheng 3C/E | 🛰 TJSW-19
Launch date: May 12, 2025 18:09 UTC
Payload: TJSW-19
Location: LC-3, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C/E
A Chang Zheng 3C/E launched TJSW-19, an experimental and classified satellite, into geostationary transfer orbit from Xichang’s LC-3 on May 12, 2025. The CZ-3C/E is an enhanced three-stage, two-booster rocket designed for large payloads to LEO or GTO. TJSW-19 is believed to serve a military, communications, or intelligence role for China, and continues the country’s deployment of experimental relay and data satellites in geostationary orbit. Previous missions in this series have included Tianlian data relay and other Tongxin Jishu Shiyan satellites. The CZ-3C/E variant’s previous flight occurred in July 2021.
Launch Complex 3, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
Launch Complex 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) is one of the primary pads utilized by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) for both national and international satellite launches. Since its commissioning in the mid-1980s, LC-3 has hosted a significant number of successful launches, including those for the BeiDou navigation system, communication satellites, and various geostationary payloads using the Long March series launch vehicles, notably the Long March 3B and Long March 2C.
Located in Sichuan province, the Xichang center and its LC-3 pad have played a critical role in China’s space program. The facility supports not only domestic satellite launches but is also part of China’s commercial space launch offerings. Its remote mountainous location provides safety advantages for high-energy launches and reentries.