At 2:14 EST (18:14 GMT, or 02:14 Beijing time) on September 7, a Long March 4C rocket was launched from Jiuquan Cosmodrome in northwest China.

China Aerospace Corporation (CASC) said the Yaogan 33(03) satellite, the third in China’s Yaogan 33 series of remote sensing satellites, is on board. The orbit of the satellite is about 688 kilometers high and is distributed throughout its circumpolar orbit. Its movements are tracked by the US Space Force.

According to Chinese state media, Yaogan 33 (03) will be used for scientific experiments, natural resource research, crop yield assessment, and emergency prevention and response. However, the details of the mission and the characteristics of the satellite were not disclosed.

According to preliminary data, the satellite is most likely part of a series of SAR spacecraft. It allows you to take detailed images of the Earth’s surface through the clouds and at night. The satellite joins two Yaogan 33 series satellites currently in orbit. The previously launched satellite, which should have been named Yaogan 33, was destroyed in 2019 by a failed Long March 4C rocket launch.

These missions were China’s 39th and 41st orbital launches in 2023. Prior to these launches on September 5, Chinese commercial firm Galactic Energy’s first sea launch using a Ceres-1 solid propellant rocket took place.