China launches new high-resolution mapping satellite

China sent a new high-resolution mapping satellite into space on Saturday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern province of Shanxi.

The Ziyuan III 03 satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket at 11:13 a.m. Beijing time, according to the center. It was the 341st flight mission by the Long March rocket series.

Also on board the rocket were two satellites used for dark matter detection and commercial data acquisition respectively. They were developed by the Shanghai ASES Spaceflight Technology Co. Ltd.

All three satellites have entered preset orbits, sources with the Taiyuan center said.

Ziyuan III 03, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, will join its predecessor Ziyuan III 02 to form a network and capture high-definition 3D images and multispectral data.

It will provide data for the country’s land resources investigation, natural disaster prevention, agriculture development, water resources management, environmental survey and urban planning.