China successfully launched the Ziyuan III satellite in January this year from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi province.
This mission marks the 156th flight of China’s Long March series of carrier rockets. The civilian use satellite of a high-resolution remote-sensing facility was launched aboard a Long March 4B rocket.
The orbiter was developed and produced by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The Long March 4B rocket is developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary. It is understood that the rocket also carried a satellite from Luxemburg.
Designed with a life expectancy of five years, the satellite, weighing 2,650 kg, entered an orbit of 500 km above the Earth about 12 minutes after it was launched.
The satellite will be used for aiding China’s land-resources survey, disaster prevention and management, agriculture development, water-resources management and urban planning.