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The Dongfang Hour Store

T-shirt (unisex) - Xichang Launch Center

T-shirt (unisex) - Xichang Launch Center

Regular price $23.99 USD
Regular price Sale price $23.99 USD
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Please refer to the bottom of the page for sizing details & other information.

The Xichang Satellite Launch Center (西昌卫星发射中心) was China’s second launch site to enter service for orbital launches, in January 1984. Its geographic location was selected as a combination of two factors:

  • Relative proximity with the equator to benefit from the tangential velocity of the Earth’s rotation for launches into GEO.
  • A remote, inaccessible area, away from borders to reduce vulnerability to attacks.

Xichang is situated in the south of Sichuan province, roughly 400 km from the provincial capital, Chengdu. As the only launch site of the Long March 3 series, it holds a central role in deploying China’s geostationary satellites, and launched China’s first GEO satellite (DFH-2) on January 29, 1984. Up until the completion of the Wenchang Space Launch Center in 2016, it was the only launch site with the capability of sending payloads into GTO.

Xichang is also known for some historic international collaborations. During the early 1990s, China began to enter the international launch market with the newly designed rockets Long March 2E and Long March 3. There are some unprecedented snapshots from those days of the Long March 2E on the Xichang launchpad, loaded with US-built Optus satellites, and with US, Australian and Chinese flags painted on the fairings. Sadly, deteriorating US-China relations in space in the 2000s make such a collaboration today highly unlikely.

The Xichang launch base is easy to recognize: its green, mountainous surroundings make it one of the most scenic launch bases, and we reflected this trait in our design.

You may also notice that the rocket plume is a checkered motif, a reference to the omnipresence of this pattern on Chinese rockets and launch-related infrastructure. This checkered design not only serves an aesthetic purpose but also a technical one: it enables photogrammetry during launch. This means that optical tracking stations on the ground are able to determine 3-dimensional motion and distances with the help of these patterns.

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Our T-Shirt is 90% combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester, providing a soft and light feel with just the right amount of stretch. The fabric weight is 153 g/m² (4.2 oz/yd²). It's unisex and is comfortable & flattering for kinds of profiles. The double stitching on the neckline and sleeves add more durability to what is sure to be a favorite! Our t-shirts are pre-shrunk and quarter-turned to avoid creases down the center.

Please pay special attention to the size (table below), as at this stage, our return policy does not allow exchanges. For further information, please refer to our return policy and FAQ.

SIZE

LENGTH

CHEST

 

Inches

Centimeters

Inches

Centimeters

XS

27

68.6

31 - 34

78.7 - 86.4

S

28

71

34 – 37

86.4 - 94

M

29

73.7

38-41

96.5 - 104

L

30

76.2

42-45

106.7 - 114.3

XL

31

78.7

46-49

116.8 - 124.5

2XL

32

81.3

50-53

127 - 134.6

3XL

33

83.8

54-57

137.2 - 144.8

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