The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center confirmed that China successfully launched the Yaogan XVI remote-sensing satellite into space at 12:06 a.m. Sunday.
The satellite, launched from the center in northwest China’s Gansu Province, was boosted by a Long March-4C carrier rocket and sent into a predetermined orbit.
The Yaogan XVI remote-sensing satellite was developed by an affiliate research institute of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
It has been designed for a variety of uses, including technological experimentation, land resource surveying, agricultural yield estimation and disaster prevention and reduction. The launch marked the 172th of the Long March series carrier rockets.
Monitoring satellite
China also sent a monitoring satellite recently. On november 19, the country sent the third satellite in its “Environment I” family into the sky, sharpening its abilities in environmental monitoring and disaster forecasting. The launch marks the completion of a plan initiated by China in 2003 to create a small environmental monitoring satellite constellation, according to north China’s Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.