China continued building a commercial suite of remote sensing satellites early Monday with the launch of the SuperView-3 (01) satellite. The Long March 2D rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:12 ET (04:12 UTC) on April 15. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) soon confirmed the successful launch by detecting the SuperView-3 (01) payload.

CASC identified SuperView-3 (01) (also known as Gaojing-3 (01)) as China’s first commercial optical remote sensing satellite with an ultra-wide beam of more than 130 kilometers. The satellite was designed to provide 0.5 meter resolution and 9-band composite imagery.

The satellite will provide commercial remote sensing data services to support digital agriculture, urban modeling and live 3D mapping, among other applications. Field survey, disaster prevention and mitigation, and marine monitoring objectives are also specified.

The SuperView or Gaojing satellites are part of a planned commercial remote sensing constellation. CASC said in its “blue book” outlining China’s 2024 space plans that it would continue to work on a “next-generation four-dimensional commercial remote sensing satellite system.”

According to previous statements, this SuperView system should include at least 28 satellites. These include high-resolution optical payloads, extended-range optical payloads, high-resolution radar payloads, and various other commercial remote sensing satellites.

It will also support the integration and additional services of the Beidou GNSS system and integrate satellite applications into new industries to support significant regional economic development.

The first pair of SuperView-1 satellites were launched in 2016 and 2018 respectively. A pair of SuperView-2 satellites were launched in 2022. All SuperView satellites are placed in sun-synchronous orbits. The satellite operator is China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of CASC.

The commercial aspect is part of China’s broader strategy to enter and compete in the global satellite imagery market. China also has a commercial Earth observation company called Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST). The remote sensing group operator, headquartered in Changchun, is a trusted subsidiary of CIOMP of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

CGST has more than 100 Jilin-1 series satellites in orbit, including optical and video satellites, with a panchromatic resolution of about 0.70 meters. In 2022, it expanded its plans to launch 300 satellites by 2025. The move follows the US commercial satellite group’s high-profile role in the conflict in Ukraine.

The launch was China’s 16th orbital mission in 2024. The country plans to conduct approximately 100 launches during the year, with CASC responsible for approximately 70 of them. Commercial players are planning around 30 launches.

Major launches in the coming weeks include the Shenzhou-18 crewed mission to the Tiangong Space Station at the beginning of April 25. The Chang’e-6 mission, which will be sent to the far side of the Moon to return samples, is planned to start in early May.