# Dong Fang Hong-3 1

> Chinese communications satellite, lost due to apogee motor failure

**Wikidata**: [Q18327596](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18327596)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/dong-fang-hong-3-1

## Summary
Dong Fang Hong-3 1 (also written DFH 3-1 or DFH-3 1) was a Chinese communications satellite of the Dong Fang Hong 3 family that was launched on 1994-11-29 and subsequently lost due to an apogee kick motor failure. It was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 3A rocket and is recorded under COSPAR ID 1994-080A and satellite catalog number 23415.

## Key Facts
- Name/aliases: Dong Fang Hong-3 1; also known as DFH 3-1 and DFH-3 1.
- Type: Communications satellite (instance recorded as a former entity).
- Spacecraft bus/family: Dong Fang Hong 3.
- Launch date: 1994-11-29.
- Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
- Launch vehicle: Long March 3A.
- COSPAR ID: 1994-080A.
- Satellite catalog number (scn): 23415.
- Country of origin: People's Republic of China.
- Mission outcome: Lost due to failure of the apogee kick motor (failure noted in November 1994).

## FAQs
### Q: What happened to Dong Fang Hong-3 1?
A: Dong Fang Hong-3 1 was lost as a result of an apogee kick motor failure. The failure is recorded as occurring in November 1994.

### Q: When and how was Dong Fang Hong-3 1 launched?
A: It was launched on 1994-11-29 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 3A launch vehicle.

### Q: What family or bus does Dong Fang Hong-3 1 belong to?
A: The satellite is part of the Dong Fang Hong 3 family and uses the Dong Fang Hong 3 spacecraft bus.

## Why It Matters
Dong Fang Hong-3 1 is a documented example of a communications satellite loss during the deployment sequence after launch. As a member of the Dong Fang Hong 3 family, its failure underscores the technical risks associated with the apogee kick motor phase that is critical to moving a satellite from its transfer orbit toward its operational orbit. Losses of individual communications satellites affect national and program-level satellite capacity planning and highlight areas for engineering review and reliability improvements in propulsion and orbital insertion systems. Because it was launched on a Long March 3A from Xichang and carries standard catalog identifiers (COSPAR ID 1994-080A, scn 23415), the satellite remains a traceable data point in historical launch records and satellite catalogs used for program assessment, archival records, and analysis of launch and in-orbit failure modes.

## Notable For
- Being part of China’s Dong Fang Hong 3 communications satellite family and using the Dong Fang Hong 3 spacecraft bus.
- Launch on 1994-11-29 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 3A.
- Recorded loss caused by failure of its apogee kick motor in November 1994.
- Cataloged with COSPAR ID 1994-080A and satellite catalog number 23415.

## Body

### Overview
- Dong Fang Hong-3 1 is identified as a communications satellite built on the Dong Fang Hong 3 bus.
- It is recorded as a former entity due to mission failure.

### Launch
- Launch date: 1994-11-29.
- Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
- Launch vehicle: Long March 3A.
- The launch event is recorded among the satellite’s significant events.

### Mission outcome
- Significant event recorded: failure.
- Failure qualifier: apogee kick motor (apogee motor) failure.
- Timeframe of failure: recorded as November 1994.
- Result: satellite loss (recorded in descriptions as “lost due to apogee motor failure”).

### Technical and catalog identifiers
- COSPAR ID: 1994-080A.
- Satellite catalog number (scn): 23415.
- Google Knowledge Graph ID: /g/11b6cvst76.
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "23415"].
- Spacecraft bus: Dong Fang Hong 3.

### Relationships and classification
- Part of: Dong Fang Hong 3 family of communications satellites.
- Instance of: communications satellite (classified as a former entity in records).
- Country of origin: People's Republic of China.
- Also referenced by aliases DFH 3-1 and DFH-3 1.

### References in records
- The satellite appears in launch and satellite catalogs under the provided identifiers and is noted in sources that document the apogee motor failure and mission loss.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/dfh-3.htm)