China launches new satellite to monitor ocean environment

ISLAMABAD: China sent a new ocean-monitoring satellite into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on Wednesday.

A Long March-4B rocket carrying the Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) satellite blasted off at 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time, international media reported.

The HY-2D will form a constellation with the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system of high frequency of medium and large scale.

The constellation will support the country’s early warning and prediction of marine disasters, its sustainable development and utilisation of ocean resources, its effective response to global climate change as well as ocean research.

The HY-2D was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, while the carrier rocket was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. Wednesday’s launch was the 370th by the Long March rocket series.