China launched a remote-sensing satellite on Wednesday morning for Earth observation purposes, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.

The State-owned conglomerate said in a news release that the Gaofen 12E was carried by a Long March 4C rocket that lifted off at 7:45 am at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gobi Desert and successfully arrived in its orbit.

Images and data from the Gaofen satellites have been widely used at thousands of research bodies and enterprises in dozens of industries across China and have helped reduce the country's dependence on foreign remote-sensing products.

Remote sensing satellites refer to those tasked with observing, surveying and measuring objects on land or at sea as well as monitoring weather.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Gaofen 12E will obtain images and data to be used in land mapping, urban construction planning, agricultural yield forecasting and disaster prevention and mitigation, the company said.

China launched the Gaofen program in May 2010 and listed it as one of the 16 national important projects in science and technology. By now, the program has established a massive space-based system with more than 30 satellites in active service.

 

The Long March 4C, also a product of the Shanghai academy, has a lift off weight of 250 metric tons, and is mainly used to send satellites to sun-synchronous orbit. It is capable of transporting satellites with a combined weight of 3 metric tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above the earth.