======================================================================== Visual Satellite Observing F A Q Chapter-09 What Are Some Of The Ground Facilities In Use Today? ======================================================================== ---- 9.0 What are some of the ground facilities in use today? ---- 9.1 Russian and Former Soviet Facilities ---- 9.1.1 Baykonur (Tyuratam) The Baykonur Cosmodrome is also known as Tyuratam. It is located approximately 45.6 degrees North latitude, 63.4 degrees East longitude, placing it in Kazakhstan territory. But Russia has an agreement with Kazakhstan to operate and pay for most of the operations at Tyuratam. Tyuratam is the site from which all manned flights and planetary missions originate. Several launch azimuths are available from 65 degrees to -13 degrees, giving orbital inclinations from 50 degrees to 99 degrees. Due-east launches are prohibited due to the likely impact of spent stages on China. Most missions are typically launched at 62.5 degrees azimuth, giving a 51.6 degree inclination. All Proton, Tsyklon F1 and Zenit rockets are launched from Baykonur. ---- 9.1.2 Plesetsk The Plesetsk launch site is approximately 62.8 degrees North latitude, 40.1 degrees East longitude. Launch azimuths from Plesetsk are constrained to narrow bands generally North, North-east and East due to range safety, so launch inclinations from Plesetsk are generally 62.8, 67.1, 73-74 and 82-83 degrees. Polar orbits can be attained from Plesetsk but not retrograde. Soyuz (unmanned), Tsyklon F2, Zenit, and Molniya rockets are launched from Plesetsk, though recent launch rates indicate a primary shift of space operations to Tyuratam. ---- 9.1.3 Kapustin Yar (Volograd) Kapustin Yar is located approximately 48.4 degrees North latitude, 45.8 degrees East longitude. It was used to launch satellites between 1961 and 1984 into 48-49 degree inclination orbits. No orbital launch has been made from Kapustin Yar since 1987. ---- 9.2 USA Launch Facilities ---- 9.2.1 Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral) Cape Canaveral is located on the eastern coast of Florida, at approximately 28.5 degrees North latitude. Launch azimuth is constrained at the Cape between 35 and 120 degrees due to land mass overflight restrictions. All launches from Cape Canaveral are therefore restricted in inclination between 28.5 and 59 degrees. Cape Canaveral is the launch site for all USA equatorial launches (through orbit changes) and all manned missions. ---- 9.2.2 Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg is located on the central western coast of California at approximately 34.4 degrees North latitude. Launch azimuth is constrained to between 147 and 201 degrees, though sub-orbital launches are allowed up to 281 degrees. Satellite inclinations between 56 and 104 degrees are accomplished at Vandenberg. All USA launches into polar orbits are done from Vandenberg. ---- 9.2.3 Wallops Island, Virginia Wallops Island is located on the east coast of Virginia at about 37.8 degrees North Latitude. Low-earth orbit (LEO) launches from Wallops are rare. The site is used primarily for sounding rockets. Launch azimuth is constrained to between 85 and 129 degrees. Satellite inclinations between 38 and 52 degrees are achievable from Wallops. There are plans for LEO launches in the future both from USA Government agencies and commercial concerns. ---- 9.3 European Space Agency (ESA): Kourou, French Guyana Kourou is located approximately 5.2 degrees North latitude, 52.8 degrees West longitude. Launch azimuths from -11 degrees to 90 degrees are over open ocean, and the lowest latitude of any major launch facility give Kourou a major advantage for geosynchronous orbits. (The proximity to the equator give a 15% payload advantage over Cape Canaveral for 90 degree azimuth launches.) Inclinations from 5.2 degrees to 100.5 degrees are achievable. Kourou is the launch site for the Ariane family of launch vehicles. ---- 9.4 Other Nations ---- 9.4.1 Japan Japan' Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) operates a launch facility at Kagoshima and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) operates a more active launch site at Tanegashima. ---- 9.4.1.1 Kagoshima Space Center Kagoshima is located approximately 31.2 degrees North latitude, 131.1 degrees East longitude. The site is used mostly for sounding rockets, but the M series of all solid-fueled vehicles is operated there. A strong fishing industry lobby normally restricts launches from Kagoshima to a 45 day "season" in Jan-Feb and Aug-Sep. Launch azimuth appears otherwise unrestricted from the North-NE to the South-SE. ---- 9.4.1.2 Tanegashima Space Center Tanegashima is located approximately 30.4 degrees North latitude, 130.9 degrees East longitude on Tanegashima Island about 1000 km (620 miles) Southwest of Tokyo. Japan's H2 and J1 launch vehicles are operated from Tanegashima though a "launch season" due to fishing concerns is imposed on the site as it is on Kagoshima. Launch azimuth is nearly unrestricted, providing all inclination possibilities from 0 degrees to retrograde. Tanegashima appears to have an unrestricted launch azimuth to the east, from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. ---- 9.4.2 China China has 3 launch sites from which satellites can be orbited. Jiuquan is used for inclinations of 57 to 70 degrees; Xichang is used for low inclinations and GEO launches; and Taiyuan is used for polar orbits. ---- 9.4.2.1 Jiuquan Jiuquan is located approximately 40.6 degrees North latitude, 99.9 degrees East longitude in the Gobi desert, about 1600 km (1000 miles) west of Beijing and near the Russian border. Launches are constrained to inclinations between 57-70 degrees to prevent overflight of Russia and Mongolia. The CZ-2 and CZ-2C space launch vehicles have been launched from Jiuquan. ---- 9.4.2.2 Xichang Xichang is located approximately 28.3 degrees North latitude, 102 degrees East longitude about 65 km (40 miles) north of Xichang city. The CZ-3 family and CZ-2E launchers are used at Xichang. Due-east launches give rockets from Xichang a 28.3 degree inclination, the lowest possible from the site. Rockets launched from Xichang carrying an upper stage can then be maneuvered to other low inclinations, or boosted to geosynchronous orbit. ---- 9.4.2.3 Taiyuan Taiyuan is located approximately 37.5 degrees North latitude, 112.6 degrees East longitude, thousands of kilometers northeast of Xichang. The site was developed for weather and remote sensing satellites since sun-synchronous inclinations can be achieved. The CZ-3 and CZ-4 families of Long March rockets are operated from Taiyuan. ---- 9.4.3 India There is one primary launch site for orbital operations in India known as the Sriharikota Launching Range (SHAR). The Vikram Sarahai Space Center (VSSC), located at the Thumba Equitorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) on the Indian west coast is the development center for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). SHAR is located approximately 13.8 degrees North latitude, 80.3 degrees East longitude on the Sriharikota Island. Launch azimuth is constrained to less than 140 degrees. Nevertheless, geosynchronous to sun-synchronous orbits can be achieved. Facilities to launch the Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) exist and a second launch pad is being built to handle the PSLV and GSLV. ---- 9.4.4 Israel Israel launches from the Palmachim Air Force Base south of Tel Aviv. The base is near the town of Yavne, which is at 31.52 degree North latitude, 034.45 degrees East longitude. The facilities are classified, but launch azimuths are apparently restricted to westward launches over the Mediterranean, requiring all launches to be retrograde. ======================================================================== This FAQ was written by members of the SeeSat-L mailing list, which is devoted to visual satellite observation. Members of this group also maintain a World Wide Web site. The home page can be found at the URL: http://www.satobs.org/ The information on the VSOHP web site is much more dynamic than that found in this FAQ. For example, the VSOHP site contains current satellite visibility and decay predictions, as well as information about current and upcoming Space Shuttle missions and Mir dockings. The VSOHP site also contains many images, equations, and data/program files that could not be included in this FAQ while maintaining its plain text form. This FAQ and the VSOHP web site are maintained asynchronously, but an effort is made to synchronize information contents as much as possible. The material in this FAQ chapter was last updated in February 1998. ========================================================================