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SJ 1

SJ 1

SJ 1 (Shi Jian) was the second Chinese satellite. It was designed an built by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The 221 kg SJ 1 spacecraft was based on the DFH 1 satellite, from which it inherited the 1 m pressurized sperical structure, but it was powered by Silicon solar cells, which were mounted on 14 trapezoidal planes on the upper and lower hemispherical shells. Batteries and transmitters were housed in the pressurized compartment. SJ 1 was spin stabilized.

SJ 1 carried two instruments:

  • A Geiger-Müller counter for detecting cosmic rays and measuring the total flux of protons with energy of more than 16.4 MeV and the total flux of electrons with energy of more than 0.88 MeV.
  • A BE-window integrating ionization chamber was used for measuring solar X-rays.

SJ-1 was launched by a CZ-1 booster into an elliptical 226 × 1826 km orbit inclined at 69.9° from the Jiuquan launch facility near Lop Nor. It ceased transmitting after eight years in orbit.

Nation: China
Type / Application: Technology
Operator: CAST (Chinese Academy of Space Technology)
Contractors: CAST (Chinese Academy of Space Technology)
Equipment: Solar X-ray detector, Geiger counter
Configuration:
Propulsion: None
Power: Solar cells, batteries
Lifetime: 1 year (design); 8 years reached
Mass: 221 kg
Orbit: 266 km × 1826 km, 69.9º
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
SJ 1 1971-018A 03.03.1971 Jq LC-2/5020 CZ-1

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