Yuan Wang - Space Event Ships - 1st Generation
The Yuanwang-1 and Yuanwang-2 ships were China's first-generation space tracking vessels, which first entered service in late 1970s, making China the fourth country to master space tracking technology after the United States, Russia and France. These ships were built under the "718 Project." The oceangoing aerospace synthetical measuring ships included the Type Yuan Wang for observing and measuring the trajectory of long range missile and satellite, the oceangoing salvage ship "J121", and oceangoing exploration ship "Xiang Yang Hong 10". Xu Xueyan, was appointed the chief designer in the 1970s, and was awarded the national special class scientific and Technological Advancement Prize (twice) for the design of Yuan Wang and Xiang Yang Hong 10 in 1985 and national First class Scientific and Technological Advancement Prize in 1985.
In 1965, Premier Chou Enlai proposed the grand concept of China developing its own oceangoing aerospace measuring ships. On July 18, 1967, under the auspices of the State Science and Technology Commission, the implementation plan for the construction of the ocean-going integrated survey ship was completed. In 1968, Chairman Mao Zedong personally approved the plan to develop oceangoing aerospace measuring ships. After passing through the storms of the cultural revolution, the first generation of aerospace ocean-going survey vessels independently designed and built by China, Yuanwang No. 1 and Yuanwang No. 2 measuring ships were finally put into the water on 31 August 1977 and 01 September 1978, respectively. At the end of 1978, the establishment of the survey ship base and other preparatory tasks were completed. This marked the end of the period in which China was unable to measure launch vehicle and satellite orbits from outside its national territory.
In May 1980, the Yuanwang ship sailed for the first time. They successfully completed the long-range launch vehicle maritime survey mission on the ocean more than 8,000 kilometers away from the mainland, ending the history of not being able to conduct aerospace surveys outside the homeland. The fourth country with the ability to track and measure at sea after the Soviet Union and France.
"Yuanwang No.1" was the first generation of comprehensive aerospace ocean-going survey and control ship in China. It was mainly responsible for the whole flight test measurement and control tasks of satellites, spacecraft and rocket vehicles. It was built on August 31, 1977 at Jiangnan Shipyard. The ship has a total length of 191 meters, a ship width of 22.6 meters, a ship height of 38 meters, an average draft of 7.5 meters, and a full displacement of 21,157 tons. In 1978, the troops were formally established. In the first 25 years, Yuanwang No. 1 made 30 expeditions to the ocean. The total voyage is 208,000 nautical miles. The accumulated voyage time is 1,7376.1 hours. The total number of days in the sea is 1,166 days. The intercontinental missiles and submarine-launched missiles have been successfully completed. Communication satellites, meteorological satellites, navigation and positioning satellites, Shenzhou spacecraft, and 34 major scientific research and test missions such as Austar and Asia Pacific No. 2.
Yuanwang 1 and Yuanwang 2 carried out measuring assignments for the first time in May of 1980, with complete success. Subsequently, the two ships successfully completed measuring assignments relating to China's own independently designed and developed test communications satellite and the third stage of its launch vehicle. In order to adapt to the needs of international commercial launches, Yuanwang 1 and Yuanwang 2 both underwent technical reconstructions in 1986.
On 22 October 2010, China's first-generation aerospace survey ship, "Yuanwang No.1", retired from the Chinese satellite maritime monitoring and control base in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, and returned to its birthplace - Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding group. “Yuanwang No.1” has since withdrawn from the China Aerospace Ocean Measurement Stage and will be stationed in the China Shipbuilding Museum in the Puxi Expo Park as a patriotic education venue. Since 2010, Yuanwang No. 2 no longer undertakes ocean-going monitoring and control tasks, docked at the dock of China Satellite Maritime Monitoring and Control Department, and began to undertake long-term satellite management tasks and became a patriotic education base. On 28 April 2019, after 21 years of service, Yuanwang No. 2 survey vessel officially withdrew from the sea for measurement and control, and was handed over to the local area as a science education base.
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