HELSINKI — China continued development of a industrial constellation of distant sensing satellites early Monday with the launch of the SuperView-3 (01) satellite tv for pc.
A Lengthy March 2D rocket lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite tv for pc Launch Middle at 12:12 a.m. Japanese, April 15 (0412 UTC). The China Aerospace Science and Know-how Company (CASC) confirmed launch success shortly after, revealing the payload to be SuperView-3 (01).
CASC described SuperView-3 (01) (often known as Gaojing-3 (01)) as China’s first industrial optical distant sensing satellite tv for pc with an ultra-large width of greater than 130 kilometers. The satellite tv for pc is designed to supply 0.5-meter decision and 9-band mixed picture information merchandise.
The satellite tv for pc will present industrial distant sensing information companies to assist digital agriculture, city modeling, and stay 3D mapping, amongst different functions. Land surveying and catastrophe prevention and mitigation, and maritime monitoring functions are additionally famous.
The SuperView, or Gaojing, satellites are a part of a deliberate industrial distant sensing constellation. CASC, in its “blue e book,” which outlines China’s house plans for 2024, acknowledged it’ll proceed work on a “four-dimensional new technology industrial distant sensing satellite tv for pc system.”
This SuperView system, in line with earlier statements, is to comprise no less than 28 satellites. These embrace high-resolution optical payloads, wide-width optical payloads, high-resolution radar payloads and different diversified sorts of industrial distant sensing satellites.
It should additionally assist the mixing and value-added companies of the Beidou GNSS system, and combine satellite tv for pc functions into rising fields to assist key regional financial improvement.
The primary pairs of SuperView-1 satellites had been launched in 2016 and 2018 respectively. A pair of SuperView-2 satellites had been launched in 2022. All SuperView satellites have been despatched into sun-synchronous orbits. The satellite tv for pc operator is China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Know-how Co., Ltd, a CASC subsidiary.
The industrial facet is a part of China’s broader technique to enter and compete within the world marketplace for satellite tv for pc imagery.
China additionally has a industrial Earth statement agency within the form of Changguang Satellite tv for pc Know-how (CGST). The Changchun-based distant sensing constellation operator is a well-backed spinoff from the Chinese language Academy of Sciences’ CIOMP.
CGST has greater than 100 Jilin-1 sequence satellites in orbit, together with optical and video satellites, with panchromatic decision of round 0.70 meters. In 2022 it expanded its plans to launch 300 satellites by 2025. This transfer adopted the high-profile function of U.S. industrial satellite tv for pc constellations within the Ukraine battle.
The launch was China’s sixteenth orbital mission of 2024. The nation is planning to launch round 100 occasions in the course of the yr, with CASC chargeable for round 70 of those. Industrial actors are planning near 30 launches.
Main launches within the coming weeks embrace the Shenzhou-18 crewed mission to the Tiangong house station early April 25. The Chang’e-6 lunar far aspect pattern return mission is set to launch in early Might.
