China launches hi-resolution SAR imaging satellite

TAIYUAN, Aug. 10 -- China launched a new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province on Wednesday.

The Gaofen-3 satellite was launched off on the back of a Long March 4C rocket at 6:55 a.m. Beijing time, according to the center. It was the 233rd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.

As China's first SAR imaging satellite that is accurate to one meter in distance, it covers the globe with an all-weather, 24-hour observation service and will be used for disaster warning, weather forecasting, water resource assessments, and the protection of maritime rights.

With 12 imaging modes, the high-definition observation satellite is capable of taking wide pictures of earth and photographing detailed scenarios of specific areas.

Gaofen-3 is also China's first low orbit remote sensing satellite that has a lifespan of eight years. It is able to provide high-definition remote sensing data for its users over long periods of time.

Since the inception of the Gaofen project in 2013, China has had an increasingly clear view of the planet.

Launched in April 2013, Gaofen-1 can cover the globe in just four days.

Gaofen-2, sent into space in August 2014, is accurate to 0.8 meters in full color and can collect multispectral images of objects 3.2 meters or longer in length.

Gaofen-4, launched in late 2015, is China's first geosynchronous orbit high-definition optical imaging satellite and the world's most sophisticated.

The Gaofen-3 and the Long March 4C rocket were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, under guidance of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.