Haiyang-1D, the 4th of the Haiyang-1 series satellites, was sent into space by a Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province on June 11.
Primarily developed by China Spacesat Co., Ltd. of China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellite will set up China's first marine observation satellite network for civil use with the Haiyang-1C satellite when it enters the selected orbit.
The two satellites will be capable of monitoring the global ocean and will make two remote-sensing images of the global ocean color and vegetation index and take four readings of sea surface temperatures.
Such data will help with surveying fishery and aquaculture resources and environments, offering a scientific basis for reasonable exploitation and utilization of marine resources, which will greatly improve economic benefits of China's fishery industry.
In addition, the satellites will provide data for resource and environment investigation, ocean disaster prevention, sustainable development of marine resources and marine ecology alerts related to environmental protection.
They will also play a role in such industries as meteorology, environment ecology, agriculture, water conservancy and traffic, making China a leading figure in ocean color remote technology by their outstanding observations of coastal resources and ecological environment.
The Long March 2C carrier rocket was primarily developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
It is scheduled for more flight missions at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center of Northwest China's Gansu province, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of Southwest China's Sichuan province and the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center this year.
The launch on June 11 was the 334th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.
A Long March 2C carrier rocket, carrying the Haiyang-1D satellite, is launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province on June 11. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
A simulated image of the Haiyang-1D satellite [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
