At 0251 GMT on 3 July a Long March 2D (CZ-2D) rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, China carrying five satellites into LEO. The larger payloads were four Earth observation (EO) satellites built by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. for the Jilin-1 EO constellation. One satellite was Jilin 1 Kuanfu-01B was which was equipped with a 4 m resolution multi-spectral imager and is designed specifically to provide very wide swaths greater than 136 km. This was joined by a Jilin 1 High Resolution 03D triplet providing high-res 1 m images.
Also on the launch was the Xingshidai 10 CubeSat.
The Long March 2D rocket lifts-off carrying the five satellites into LEO. Courtesy of Zheng Taotao/Xinhua
Sally Hylands contributed to this article.
