China launches high-definition Earth Observation satellite
August 19, 2014, 9:47 am

A Long March-4B carrier rocket carrying the Gaofen-2 satellite blasts off from the launch pad at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province, Aug. 19, 2014 [Xinhua]

The Gaofen-2 was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province at 11:15 am Beijing Time on Tuesday. ‘Gaofen’ in English means ‘high resolution’.

It is China’s most advanced high-definition Earth observation satellite, capable of producing images with a ground sampling distance of 80 centimeters in black and white, and 3.2 meters in color.

It will be used for geographic and resources surveys, environment and climate change monitoring, precision agriculture, disaster relief and city planning. The data from the Gaofen 2 will be used by China’s Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Gaofen satellites are a series of high-resolution optical Earth observation satellites of China National Space Administration.

The civilian High-Definition Earth Observation Satellite program was proposed in 2006, receiving government approval on the next years and initiated in 2010. China plans to launch six Gaofen satellites between 2013 and 2016.

China’s space program dates back to October 1956, when the country’s first rocket research institution—the fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defense was established.

By 2020, China plans to build its own space station to operate in orbit and create a space laboratory.

In June this year, China and Russia have jointly submitted an updated draft international treaty on banning the deployment of weapons in outer space to a UN-sponsored disarmament conference.

The US and Israel have repeatedly voted against UN resolutions on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

 Source: Agencies