A rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at 11:22 a.m. local time, carrying the Gaofen-7 high-resolution satellite into its designated orbit, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) said, citing China National Space Administration.
A black hole rips apart an unfortunate star
Gaofen-7, a sub-meter resolution optical satellite, boasts the highest mapping accuracy among its domestic peers, and is able to map China and even the world’s lands stereoscopically with a margin of error of less than a metre, according to CCTV.
The satellite, which will be used for land surveys, urban planning, and statistical investigation, will help end China’s reliance on foreign imports in high-resolution stereo mapping, the CCTV added.
NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020
The purpose of China’s satellite remote sensing project - the Gaofen series - is to help build an all-weather, 24-hour, global Earth remote sensing system by 2020 capable of monitoring the ground, atmosphere, and oceans, according to CNSA.
The Gaofen project, one of the 16 major projects that are key to the nation’s scientific development, is also aimed at comprehensively boosting China’s self-reliance in accessing high-resolution earth observation data.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ