China launches new remote-sensing satellite group

China launched a Long March 4B carrier rocket on Friday afternoon to place a group of remote-sensing satellites in space, 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 3:35 pm at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China's Sichuan province and transported the Yaogan 43A satellites into their preset orbit.

The Yaogan 43A satellites were built by the China Academy of Space Technology and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, both of them are CASC subsidiaries.

They are the newest in China's fleet of remote-sensing satellites, which refer to spacecraft tasked with detecting and monitoring 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 governments, public service sectors and businesses.

The Long March 4B rocket model is built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The model 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.