On August 23rd at 02:27 UTC, a Long March 2D rocket launched from pad 603 at SLS-2 of the Jiuquan Space Center in northern China, which is the nation’s most active spaceport. It was carrying the fifth Gaofen-9 satellite to orbit, along with two other smaller satellites.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) quickly confirmed the successful launch and deployment of the fifth satellite in the Gaofen 9 series, and also confirmed the successful deployment of two smaller defense-related satellites.

The first of these, the Tiantuo-5, is an experimental smallsat developed by the National University of Defense Technology. The Tiantuo series of satellite masses just under 80 kilograms each and, in the past, have included remote sensing and Automatic Identification System (AIS) receivers, as well as other experimental technologies.

The other unnamed smallsat launched was also a technology demonstration platform, this one specifically built for the People’s Liberation Army. The platform is intended to research various communication, navigation, and remote sensing technologies on behalf of China’s armed forces.

The Gaofen itself masses about 4,600 kg and is capable of sub-meter resolution imagery from its sun-synchronous orbit. It’s part of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System, or CHEOS, which was implemented beginning in 2010. The satellites in this constellation contain a mix of radar, infrared and optical sensors that can be used separately or in combination during observing runs to assist Chinese authorities in land surveying, urban planning, road network design, agriculture, and disaster relief. 

More Information

CASC announcement (Chinese)

Xinhua Net article 

SpaceNews article