Photo of China's triple microsatellite launch,
courtesy of Zee News.

...Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province last Friday. The satellite was launched on a Long March-2D carrier rocket at 12:13 and marked the 175th launch in China's Long March series of rockets. Three microsatellites, developed by Turkey, Argentina, Ecuador respectively, were also aboard the rocket. The satellite will be able to acquire high-resolution data over vast swathes of terrain.

"The satellite flies and moves fast, and therefore has a wide coverage to collect data," said Chen Shiping, a chief designer of the high-resolution system project of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC). The satellite's successful launch marked a milestone in China's space infrastructure development.

China plans to launch five to six more satellites before the end of 2015 in order to build a spatial, temporal and spectral high-resolution observation system, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SATIND). The system is expected to provide service and support for major fields including modern agriculture, disaster prevention and relief, environmental resources and public securities.

"As natural disasters like floods, snowstorms and hailstorms usually cover large areas, the satellite will play a big role in remotely anticipating these disasters," said Bai Zhaoguang, another chief designer of the high-resolution system project of CASTC. Experts say that despite the vast potential market for the high resolution earth observation system, China is still in the early stages of researching and applying such technology. (Source: Emirates 24|7.)