spacetoday.net: China launches remote sensing satellite

China launches remote sensing satellite

Posted: Wed, Sep 19, 2007, 10:14 PM ET (0214 GMT)
Long March 4B launch (Xinhua)

A Long March rocket placed a Sino-Brazilian remote sensing satellite into orbit on Wednesday. The Long March 4B rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11:26 pm EDT Tuesday (0323 GMT, 11:26 am Beijing time Wednesday) and placed the CBERS-02B satellite into a 750-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit 12 minutes later. The spacecraft is the third in a series of remote sensing satellite developed in a joint venture between the China Academy of Space Technology and Brazilian National Space Research Institute. The spacecraft will provide imagery for use in agricultural, urban planning, and land resources applications.