China launched a new set of four Beijing-3 optical remote sensing satellites into orbit on Sunday evening. The Long March 2D rocket was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China on May 19 at 23:06 ET (03:06 UTC, May 20). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Group (CASC) confirmed the successful launch within an hour of liftoff.

There were four Beijing-3C remote sensing satellites on board. They will likely enter approximately circular, sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 600 kilometers. The first stage of the particularly long 2D walk had a grid to help limit the landing area. Taiyuan is located inland, and falling spent rocket parts could be dangerous and devastating.

Satellites Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co. was thrown for. Ltd. (21AT) from Beijing. The satellites were built by CASC’s China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). Previously, 21AT had ordered satellites from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) from the United Kingdom.

The Beijing-3C constellation consists of four 0.5-meter panchromatic remote sensing satellites with a multispectral resolution of 2 meters. Two of the four are also known as Nanning-2 and Zhengzhou Airport Satellite, 21AT reported. The first will serve Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the region.

The constellation will work together with other previously launched Beijing-3 satellites. They will combine high-resolution satellite remote sensing data. According to 21AT, they will also contribute to the development of new productive forces in the commercial aviation industry and the modernization of the national management system and management capabilities.

The Beijing constellation is far from the largest remote sensing constellation in China. Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST), a subsidiary of CIOMP of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has more than 100 Jilin-1 series satellites in orbit. These include optical and video satellites with a panchromatic resolution of approximately 0.70 meters. In 2022, it expanded its plans to launch 300 satellites by 2025.

Sunday’s launch was China’s 23rd orbital launch of 2024. The country plans to conduct around 100 launches this year, with around 30 of them planned to be carried out by commercial launch service providers. Kuaizhou-11 and Ceres-1 solid-state rockets from commercial companies Expace and Galactic Energy, respectively, are expected to be launched in the coming days.

China’s far-side lunar return sample spacecraft Chang’e-6 is currently waiting for a landing opportunity in lunar orbit.