Land Surveyor 4A satellite enters preset orbit

The Land Surveyor 4A, the world's first synthetic aperture radar satellite in high-altitude orbit, has successfully moved into its preset orbital position and has unfolded its radar antennas, according to the China National Space Administration.

Dedicated to natural disaster prevention and mitigation, the remote-sensing satellite was carried into orbit on a Long March 3B rocket that was launched on Aug 13 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province.

It carried out four orbital maneuvers to arrive at its position in a geosynchronous orbit.

All of the flight-control tests have been conducted with satisfactory results, and the spacecraft is in good condition, the administration said in a news release on Morning morning, adding that the satellite will continue to undergo function tests during its in-orbit verification phase.

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the Land Surveyor 4A will extensively improve China's space-based disaster monitoring system, it said.

The spacecraft is tasked with around-the-clock monitoring of Chinese territories and neighboring regions. In addition to disaster prevention and relief work, it will also be used in land and marine resources management, weather forecasting, environmental protection and agricultural and forestry industries, the administration said.

Due to its strong capability and multiple functions, the Land Surveyor 4A will become one of the busiest Chinese remote-sensing satellites, it noted.

Its users include the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.