In a significant achievement for China’s space exploration initiatives, the country has successfully launched the Long March-5 Y6 rocket, carrying the Yaogan-41 remote-sensing satellite. The launch took place at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, marking the 502nd mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
The Yaogan-41 satellite is a high-orbit optical remote-sensing satellite designed to capture high-resolution images of Earth’s surface from space. This advanced technology will play a crucial role in applications such as land resource surveys, urban planning, agriculture monitoring, environmental management, meteorological warning, and forecasting, as well as comprehensive disaster prevention and reduction.
A notable feature of this launch is the use of an 18.5-meter-long fairing, a first for the Long March-5 launcher. The rocket, coded Long March-5 Y6, lifted off at 9:41 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, demonstrating China’s commitment to advancing its carrier rocket capabilities.
Zhu Haiyang, the designer of the two-stage Long March-5 rocket developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, highlighted that the longer fairing, measuring 5.2 meters in diameter, significantly surpasses its predecessors. This enhancement not only increases the loading capacity and mission adaptability of the Long March-5 but also sets a new height benchmark for China’s operational carrier space capsules.
The successful launch reaffirms China’s prowess in space exploration and its continuous efforts to push the boundaries of technological innovation in the field.