China's Radar Calibration Mission: What's the Deal?

Late on a Monday night, China sent up not one, but three satellites – Tianping-3A, B, and another B. These little guys are on a big mission: to calibrate ground radar equipment and collect other data. The launch happened from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China. A Long March 6 rocket did the heavy lifting, and it was a success, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. So, what's the deal with these satellites? They're like tiny benchmarks floating in space, helping to test and improve ground-based radars. Radars need regular checks to make sure they're working right. These satellites can do that job, providing a strong, steady signal that radars can use to calibrate their power, alignment, and other important stuff.Back on Earth, the Long March 6 rocket is a pretty big deal too. It's about as tall as a nine-story building and uses a kerosene-liquid oxygen engine. This isn't its first rodeo – it's launched 13 times already, all without a hitch. China's been busy this year, with this launch being their 50th. They've got plans to send astronauts to their space station, Tiangong, soon. And there's a cargo mission on the way after that. But it looks like they might not hit their goal of 100 launches this year.