China sends remote-sensing satellite into orbit

China put a remote-sensing satellite into orbit on Tuesday via a Long March 4B carrier rocket, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The State-owned space contractor said in a news release that the rocket blasted off at 11:41 am from the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and transported the Yaogan 47 satellite into its preset orbit.

Built by the China Academy of Space Technology, the satellite is tasked with surveying land resources, mapping urban areas, monitoring agricultural yields, and supporting environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation.

Remote-sensing satellites are usually used to detect and monitor the physical characteristics of objects on land or at sea by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation. Data obtained by the Yaogan family, the major series of remote-sensing spacecraft in China, has been widely used in by government and private business.

The Long March 4B rocket model, built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, can transport multiple satellites with a combined weight of 2.5 metric tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.

Tuesday's launch was China's 82nd space mission and the 614th occasion on which a rocket from the Long March fleet has been deployed.