China’s new satellite to provide clear view of seas

China on Wednesdaysuccessfully launched a high resolution satellite which can provide seamless view of seas to protect its maritime rights besides land borders and global hotspots, weeks after an international court struck down its claims over the disputed South China Sea.

The new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellite called Gaofen-3 was launched off on the back of a Long March 4C rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi Province.

It was the 233rd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket, the work horse of China’s space launches.

As China’s first SAR imaging satellite that is accurate to one meter in distance, it covers the globe with an all- weather, 24-hour observation service and will be used for disaster warning, weather forecasting, water resource assessments, and the protection of maritime rights.

The satellite was launched amid China’s efforts to firmly establish its control over the South China Sea, after last month’s tribunal verdict quashing Beijing expansive claims over all most all of the disputed area also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

China, which rejected the verdict has already launched air and naval patrols over the area to firmly establish control.

Since the inception of the Gaofen project in 2013, China has had an increasingly clearer view of the planet, the state-run Xinhua news agency report said.

This also means China has better view of its land borders including its boundary with India.

Compared with optical imaging satellites, Gaofen-3 will better perform disaster monitoring as the SAR imaging satellite is capable of imaging in severe weather conditions as it uses microwave transmission.

“The launch of Gaofen-3 is expected to reduce dependence on data provided by foreign microwave imaging satellites,” Jiang Xingwei, deputy chief engineer of Gaofen satellite application system, said. The new satellite is able to provide high-definition remote sensing data over long periods of time.