China added Earth observation satellites to its fleet with a new launch on Sunday. According to China Aerospace Science, the Long March 4C rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:45 a.m. (5:45 p.m. GMT; 1:45 p.m. Beijing time on August 21). and Technology Company. (CASC).

The exhaust fumes of the Long March 4C illuminated the falling insulation tiles. rocketsSoaring into the night sky over Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert.

On board was the Gaofen 12 (04) satellite currently orbiting near the poles at an average altitude of about 373 miles (600 kilometers), according to U.S. Space Force tracking data.. The satellite will likely raise its orbit to match the orbit of three other Gaofen 12 satellites launched in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

about satellite and very little is known about his instruments. Previously launched Gaofen 12 satellites were designated microwave remote sensing satellites, meaning they carry a synthetic aperture radar payload.

According to Chinese state media, the satellite will be used “in various fields, including land management, urban planning, road network design, crop yield assessment and disaster relief.”

Gaofen means “high definition” in Chinese. The new satellite joins the Gaofen series of remote sensing satellites that make up China’s High Definition Earth Observation System (CHEOS). These include high and medium resolution optical and radar satellites in low Earth and stable orbits.

The satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a major spacecraft manufacturer, under state-run space contractor CASC. The Long March 4C rocket was manufactured by the Shanghai Space Technology Academy (SAST) CASC. The launch was the 37th for the year in China. CASC says it plans to launch more than 200 spacecraft through about 60 separate launches by 2023. Source