Newest Gaofen HD satellite lifted into orbit

China launched the newest satellite in its Gaofen-series high-definition Earth-observation network on Monday afternoon.

The Gaofen 11-02, the second in the Gaofen 11 fleet, was lifted atop a Long March 4B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, according to a statement by the State-owned space contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The satellite, developed and built by the company's China Academy of Space Technology, is tasked with providing images and data to a wide range of operations such as land surveying, urban construction planning, agricultural forecasting and disaster prevention and relief, and will also provide information support for the Belt and Road Initiative and China's national defense, the statement said.

The launch marked the 345th flight of the Long March rocket family and the third mission this year of the Long March 4 series, which will fulfill a busy schedule of launch operations before the end of this year, said the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.