In a setback for China, its optical remote-sensing satellite Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C failed to enter the pre-set orbit on Saturday, Beijing’s official media reported.
China launched a new high-resolution remote sensing satellite for the Jilin-1 satellite constellation on Saturday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. However, the solid fuelled Kuaizhou-1A launch was declared a failure after several hours of waiting for information from Chinese state media.
With its high resolution, large width, and high-speed data transmission, the new satellite was to be used in natural resource surveys, ecological environmental monitoring, urban construction, disaster prevention and mitigation, and other fields.
The rocket took off from Jiuquan, and the Kuaizhou 11 appeared to fly normally through the burn of its first stage motor. According to media reports, two more solid-fueled stages were expected to fire to place the mission’s two satellite payloads into orbit. Chinese officials did not say at what point in the flight the rocket malfunctioned.
