China Launches Observation Satellite

A Long March 4B successfully launched Zi Yuan 2 at 0325 UTC September 1 (8:25 pm PDT August 31) from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, most likely into a polar orbit. The remote sensing satellite will collect images and other data that to be used for planning, surveying, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. The satellite has the capablity to transmit its data directly back to Earth. The spacecraft also carries a "space science experiment". The name means "Earth Resources 2".

The observation satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for the China Aerospace Corporation.

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