Artistic rendition of the Xiyaun III satellite

...high-resolution remote-sensing satellite for civilian use, has officially transferred its use to the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, the satellite's primary subscriber, according to Xinhuanet.com. Other departments, including the ministries of water resources, agriculture and land and resources, will also use data provided by the Ziyuan III to serve China's economic and social development, according to a statement released by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The satellite, launched on January 9th represented a breakthrough for China in terms of the advancement of the satellite's technological standards. The satellite is tasked with providing data for use in land resource surveying, disaster prevention, agriculture and water resource development and urban planning. It has a designed life expectancy of five years.

The Ziyuan III can conduct high-resolution, full-cover surveying and monitoring of islands located in China's coastal areas, the statement said. A regulation on the management of data collected by the Ziyuan III was also issued on Monday. The regulation stipulates that the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense will handle the overall distribution of the Ziyuan III's data, while the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation will handle data distribution and applications related to mapping.