China launches new camera satellite with high resolution to find resources

PTI, Dec 26, 2021, 3:56 PM IST

China on Sunday launched a new satellite with a camera that can take pictures of the ground with a resolution of five meters, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The satellite, called ”Ziyuan-1 02E” or ”five-meter optical satellite 02,” was launched by a Long March-4C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China’s Shanxi province.

Ziyuan-1 02E weighs about 2.5 kilograms and is equipped with infrared, near-infrared and hyperspectral cameras. The cameras can take full-colour panchromatic images of the Earth, state-run CGTN-TV reported.

The satellite will work with the five-meter optical satellite 01 and shorten the revisit time of Chinese territory from three days to two days.

Pictures taken by the satellite duo will help engineers survey China’s geological environment and search for minerals. People working in other areas like transportation, agriculture and disaster mitigation will also receive help from the pictures, the report said.

The Long March-4C carrier rocket also sent into orbit a small satellite that belongs to Beijing 101 Middle School.

It carries payloads such as a small imaging camera, intelligent processing equipment, and equipment for conducting experiments on semiconductor thermoelectric generation, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It will carry out auxiliary geography teaching, scientific and technological experiments and other popular science activities for middle school students.