CTS (rocket stage)


The CTS is an upper stage developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to improve the performance of the Long March 2C to high LEO missions like SSO. The two stage LM-2 delivers the payload and stage to an elliptical orbit with the desired apogee and the CTS points the stack in the direction of the correct vector and activates the solid rocket motor main engine to circularize it. It then dispenses the spacecraft and does a passivisation procedure.

History

It was initially developed as the SD stage for the initial deployment of the initial deployment of the Iridium constellation in 1997. In the 1999 LM-2C User Manual it was offered as the CTS option and flew to deploy the Double Star mission. Later it flew twice as part of the dual deployment system SMA, first for the deployment of the Huanjing 1A and 1B and in 2012 for the Shijian 9A and Shijian 9A technology demonstrator missions.
DateCarrier RocketDesignationLaunch siteMissionResult
1997-09-01Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium-MFS 1 / Iridium-MFS 2
1997-12-08Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 42 / Iridium 44
1998-03-25Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 51 / Iridium 61
1998-05-02Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 69 / Iridium 71
1998-08-19Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 76 / Iridium 78
1998-12-19Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 88 / Iridium 89
1999-06-10Long March 2CSDTaiyuanIridium 92 / Iridium 93
2003-12-29Long March 2CCTSXichangDouble Star Equatorial
2004-07-26Long March 2CCTSTaiyuanDouble Star Polar
2008-09-06Long March 2CSMATaiyuanHuanjing 1A / Huanjing 1B
2012-10-14Long March 2CSMATaiyuanShijian 9A / Shijian 9A

Design

It is composed of the Spacecraft Adapter and Orbital Maneuver System. The Spacecraft Adapter is customized to the user's requirement, particularly in the separation environment and pointing accuracy. The OMS is composed by:
The basic system has been offered in three different versions: