NEW PROBABLE ROCKET MOTOR HOHHOT SOLID PROPELLANT COMPLEX, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00171R000300070001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 27, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 1, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
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Copy
Attachment to Z^14061/83
NPIC/IEG (11/83)
1 NOVEMBER 1983
NEW PROBABLE ROCKET MOTOR
HOHHOT SOLID PROPELLANT COMPLEX. CHINA (SWN)
1. SIGNIFICANCE: THIS NEW PROBABLE ROCKET MOTOR COULD BE USED IN A FUTURE
CHINESE-STRATEGIC MISSILE OR SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE. (SWN)
2. REMARKS:- THE NEW PROBABLE ROCKET MOTOR WAS
IDENTIFIED AT TEST CE 1 THE PROBABLE MOTOR WAS PRESENT
HOWEVER. MASKING AND HAZE. PRECLUDED ITS
IDENTIFICATION. THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MOTOR
INDICATE THE NEW ROCKET MOTOR IS MUCH LONGER THAN THE
CSS-NX-3 FIRST STAGE BUT MAY BE THE SAME DIAMETER ,..w. .ir
WERE ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR. (SWN)
ALTHOUGH NO BLAST MARK WAS DISCERNIBLE AT TEST CELL 1 ON SEPTEMBER AND
OCTOBER IMAGERY, A BLAST MARK WAS SEEN AT
CELL A ROCKET MOTOR
WAS Al Th6l' CELL 3 SINCE THE DIMENSIONS OF THAT
ROCKET MOTOR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE DUE TO OBLIQUITY, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT
THE MOTOR SEEN AT TEST CELL 1 DURING OCTOBER WAS THE SAME ONE TESTED AT
TEST CELL 3 IN SEPTEMBER. CONVERSELY, IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE
MOTOR SEEN AT TEST CELL 1 WAS NOT RELATED TO THE TEST AT TEST CELL 3,
BUT WAS A MOCK-UP USED TO REHEARSE HANDLING PROCEDURES WITH A LARGE
ROCKET MOTOR PRIOR TO TESTING AN ACTUAL MOTOR OF THAT SIZE. (SWN)
ACTIVITY OBSERVED AT TEST CELL 2 SINCE JUNE 1983 ALSO SUGGESTS THAT
TESTING MAY HAVE BEGUN THERE ON ANOTHER NEW ROCKET MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM. CUUM CHAMBER WAS FIRST OBSERVED AT TEST CELL
2 THE VACUUM CHAMBER HAD PROBABLY BEEN
POSITIONED WITHIN THE TEST CELL. A DIFFUSER HAD BEEN
POSITIONED WITHIN THE TEST CELL ED WITH THE VACUUM.
CHAMBER. (SWN)
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NOTICE
Intelligence Sources
and Methods Involved
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 2 of 2
Copy
Attachment to Z-14061/83
ANALYST'S COMMENTS: ALTHOUGH THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THE NEW PROBABLE
ROCKET MOTOR CANNOT YET BE DETERMINED, SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES EXIST.
THESE POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
(A) USE AS A FIRST STAGE OF A SOLID-PROPELLANT ICBM. NEW
CASTING/CURING FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED IN THE ROCKET MOTOR
PRODUCTION PLANT AT HOHHOT SINCE 1978 ARE SUITABLE FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF ICBM FIRST STAGE MOTORS.
(B) USE AS A LARGER FIRST STAGE FOR THE NEW LAND-BASED VERSION OF
THE CSS-NX-3. THIS MAY INCREASE THE RANGE OF THAT MISSILE FROM
MRBM TO IRBM.
(C) USE AS THE FIRST STAGE OF A NEW TWO-STAGE MISSILE OTHER THAN THE' ~l
CSS-NX-3 OR ITS LAND-BASED VARIANT. THE ACTIVITY OBSERVED AT
TEST CELL 2 COULD BE RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT OF A SECOND STAGE
FOR SUCH A MISSILE. THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEST CELL 3 ALSO
SUGGESTS THAT THE CHINESE MAY DEVELOP AN ENTIRELY NEW MISSILE
SYSTEM.
(D) USE AS A STRAP-ON BOOSTER FOR A SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE, PROBABLY
AIIT RSION OF THE CSL-X-3. (SWN)
COORDINATES 40-46-14N 111-59-18E (S)
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana?
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NOTICE
Intelligence Sources
and Methods Involved
SFCRFT
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/27: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000300070001-2