China sends observation satellite into orbit to look for resources on Earth
- It was carried by a Long March 4C rocket and is the latest in a record year of Chinese space launches
- A smaller satellite was also launched and will be used by a Beijing middle school to teach geography and science
Named Ziyuan-1 02E, the satellite was launched by a Long March 4C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan launch site in Shanxi province at about 12pm.
The satellite has a high-resolution near-infrared camera, a hyperspectral imager and a long-wave infrared camera, according to the official China News Service.
With a designed lifespan of eight years, the remote-sensing satellite – whose name means “resource” in Chinese – will be used to obtain high-resolution images for mineral resource exploration, geological disaster warning, and water quality monitoring. It could also be used to aid economic and social development planning, the report said.
A second, smaller satellite was also sent into orbit on the Long March rocket and will be used by a Beijing middle school to teach geography and science.
Sunday’s satellite launch was China’s 53rd orbital launch this year – surpassing its previous record of 39 in both 2018 and 2020. Two more satellite launches are expected before the end of 2021, which will take the total number of satellites sent into orbit this year to 104, according to Chinese media reports.