Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
38.847222222222111.60805555556Koordinaten: 38 ° 50 ' 50 "N, 111 ° 36' 29" O
The Baikonur Taiyuan is a spaceport and military base of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the district of Kelan in the north of Shanxi Province, was built from 1966 and commissioned two years later in full operation. Taiyuan is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, and its dry climate makes it an ideal launch site. U.S. intelligence services describe the base as " Wuzhai Missile and Space Test Center". The Taiyuan Space Launch Center ( TSLC ) is located about 280 kilometers northwest of the city of Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province. Originally Taiyuan was a top secret missile base of the Chinese armed forces. Until the start of the meteorological satellite FY- 1A on September 7, 1988, the space station was known publicly. Two launch ramps ( 38.8494 ° N, 111.608 ° O38.8494111.608 and 38.863 ° N, 111.5895 ° O38.863111.5895 ) can be used to shoot weather satellites, Earth observation satellites and other scientific satellites with the rocket Long March in geostationary orbits. A third starting system ( 38.8369 ° N, 111.6059 ° O38.8369111.6059 ) from 2002 to 2003 for the test flights of the carrier rocket KT- 1 is in operation.
The Baikonur Taiyuan serves primarily to transport low earth and polar satellites. The first launch pad for space missions ( "old ramp" ) was completed in 1979. It is suitable for launch sites of the type CZ -2 and CZ -4. The ramp was modernized in 2008/2009 and rebuilt and commissioned in April 2009 again. The second known ramp ( " new ramp ") was operational in 2008. The system is much more modern and can be used for a maximum of three missile launches within a month. From 1988 to 2012, about 40 space missions were launched in Taiyuan.
Taiyuan is also the main launch site for test flights by land-based or sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles for the transport of nuclear bombs.
The terrain is connected by two railway connections with the railway line Ningwu - Kelan.