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China launches new weather satellite
December 11, 2016, 10:06 am

The Fengyun-4 is expected to improve China's capabilities in weather and meteorological forecasting [Xinhua]

The Fengyun-4 is expected to improve China’s capabilities in weather and meteorological forecasting [Xinhua]


China on Sunday launched an enhanced version of its weather satellites in what is expected to be the country’s foray into second-generation high-orbit geostationary orbit space vehicles.

The Fengyun-4 satellite is the first in this class and was launched from the Xichang Launch Center in Sichuan province in southwest China.

Carried into orbit by the Long March-3B rocket, the launch is in tandem with Beijing’s persistent mission to develop its space capabilities.

According to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry, the China Meteorological Administration will use the Fengyun-4 satellite to study spatial and spectral environment in and around China and help to boost the efficacy of weather and climate forecasts.

The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, or QUESS, satellite, was launched on top of a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China’s remote northwestern province of Gansu.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies