NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Ziyuan-2 02

Launch Time
Sun Oct 27, 2002 03:17 UTC

Rocket

Long March 4B
Image Credit: CASC
CASC
Status: Active
Price: $64.68 million
Liftoff Thrust: 2,993 kN
Payload to LEO: 4,200 kg
Payload to GTO: 1,500 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 46.97 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.8 m
Fairing Height: 11.74 m

Mission Details

Ziyuan-2 02

ZY-2 (Ziyuan-2, 'Resource-2'), while reported as a civilian Earth observation system, was actually code-named JB-3 (Jianbing-3) and was China's first high-resolution military imaging satellite. They are reportedly used for area surveillance.

In October 2000 Chinese officials denied that the ZY-2 satellite had a military mission. It was reported to be a remote-sensing satellite equipped with CCD cameras and an infrared multispectral scanner that could only identify objects on the ground with a resolution of several dozen meters to 1 km.

The new satellite employed digital-imaging technology and has a resolution of 2 m or less. The satellite was designed and built by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology and was developed indigenously. It was said to be more advanced than earlier sensing satellites and was expected to have an orbital life of two years.

Payloads: 1
Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Location

LC-7, Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

Stats

2002

51st orbital launch attempt

Long March 4B

5th mission
2nd mission of 2002
5th successful mission