In a milestone for the Chinese mainland's space program, a modified Long March-7 rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, delivering the Yaogan-45 remote sensing satellite into its preset orbit.
This mission, the 594th flight of the Long March series, showcases a new-generation medium-sized carrier rocket developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. With the capacity to send over 8 tonnes to medium orbit and at least 7 tonnes to high orbit, Long March-7 is poised to become a key platform for future scientific and commercial launches.
Once operational, Yaogan-45 will support a diverse set of applications, including:
- Scientific experiments in microgravity and space environment research
- Land resource surveys and mapping initiatives
- Crop yield assessments to enhance global food security
- Disaster prevention and mitigation through real-time monitoring
By feeding critical data into environmental models and agricultural forecasting tools, satellites like Yaogan-45 are driving a data-powered revolution in sustainability and emergency response. As the world faces growing challenges from climate change and natural disasters, these remote sensing missions are becoming indispensable for informed decision-making across borders.
Emerging from the Chinese mainland, this launch underscores the rising role of space technology in solving real-world problems—one orbit at a time.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
