BEIJING, March 29 – China will launch the first satellite for its high-resolution system for Earth observation in April, Xinhua news agency reported. Examinations of the satellite and its carrier rocket, the Long March 2D, have been completed and the satellite is now in the launch stage, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SATIND) said Thursday.
China plans to launch five to six satellites before the end of 2015 in order to build a spatial, temporal and spectral high-resolution observation system. The system will mainly provide services for the Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environmental Protection.
It is expected to help reduce disasters, protect resources, environment and national security as well as support geographic and oceanic surveys and urban transportation management. It will also enhance China’s ability to obtain high-resolution observation data and accelerate its development of satellite application technologies, the SATIND said.
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