DF-21

Intermediate range ballistic missile. IOC: 1988. Country: China. Status: Active. Department of Defence Designation: CSS-5. Popular Name: Dong Feng-21.

JL-1 land based version. 2 stage vehicle.

Manufacturer: Shanxi. Launches: 15. Failures: 3. Success Rate: 80.00%. First Launch Date: 1985-05-01. Last Launch Date: 2007-01-11. Launch data is: continuing. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 0 N ( lbf). Total Mass: 14,664 kg (32,328 lb). Core Diameter: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Total Length: 10.43 m (34.21 ft). Span: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Standard warhead mass: 600 kg (1,320 lb). Maximum range: 1,810 km (1,120 mi). Number Standard Warheads: 1. Standard warhead yield: 250 KT. Boost Propulsion: Solid rocket. Guidance: Inertial. Total Number Built: 50.

• Stage1: 1 x JL-1-1. Gross Mass: 10,000 kg (22,000 lb). Motor: 1 x DF-21-1. Length: 6.00 m (19.60 ft). Diameter: 1.41 m (4.62 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage2: 1 x DF-21-2. Gross Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Motor: 1 x DF-21-2. Length: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Diameter: 1.41 m (4.62 ft). Propellants: Solid.

1985 May 1 - Taiyuan -. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

1987 September 1 - Taiyuan -. Agency: PRC. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

1992 April 29 - Taiyuan -. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1992 May 1 - Taiyuan -. FAILURE: Failure. Agency: PRC. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1993? - Taiyuan -. FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1995 July 1 - Taiyuan -. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

1995 November 10 - Taiyuan -. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1996 January 10 - Taiyuan -. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1996 December 28 - Taiyuan -. Test mission Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2002 July 1 - Taiyuan -. DF-21 Decoy test Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2002 December 1 - Taiyuan -. DF-21 Decoy test Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2004 Q1 - Taiyuan -. Agency: PRC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2005 July 7 - Xichang -. DF-21 ASAT 1 Agency: PRC. Apogee: 850 km (520 mi).

2006 February 6 - Xichang -. DF-21 ASAT 2 Agency: PRC. Apogee: 850 km (520 mi).

2007 January 11 - 22:28 GMT - Xichang -. DF-21 ASAT 3 Chinese ASAT destroys FY-1C target satellite. Agency: PRC. Apogee: 850 km (520 mi). The FY-1C satellite, launched on 10 May 1999, was presumably well past the end of its operational life. It was destroyed in a test of a Chinese ASAT weapon at an altitude of 850 km, 4 degrees west of Xichang. Launch vehicle was unknown, but a version of the DF-21 IRBM would be sufficient to reach that altitude. Reportedly the flight had been preceded by one to three earlier tests that were either failures or just aimed at a point in space. The program was apparently very secret, and the Chinese foreign ministry was caught by surprise by the test and the storm of international condemnation that followed. The FY-1C was blown into over 200 pieces of debris, adding immediately by 10% to the population of space junk that threatens lower-altitude satellites.