Scaling up its space programme, China today successfully launched a high—definition earth observation satellite, marking the start of a plan to improve its capabilities in disaster relief, resources and environment survey.

The satellite ‘Gaofen 1’ was launched from northwest China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) said.

The rocket also carried three small satellites made by Ecuador, Argentina and Turkey as well as two satellite splitters from the Netherlands.

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, Gaofen—1 will be followed into space by another four of five satellites before the end of 2016 to form the high—definition earth observation system (HDEOS), state—run Xinhua news agency reported.

By improving the precision and timeliness of data provision, the satellite could play an important role in disaster relief in a country that is a frequent sufferer from such incidents, it said.

China’s Sichuan province was hit by a major quake last week in which over 200 people were killed and 12,000 injured.

Disaster relief work following the quake pointed to a lack of precise and timely data, despite the help of several remote sensing satellites and the Beidou positioning system.

Gaofen 1 can fill the gaps for more reasonable policy making, the report said.

It could also improve land resources surveying, environmental monitoring, geographical mapping as well as precision agriculture.

There are over 50 countries to date that own or operate earth observation satellites, and the data they collect is widely used for economic and social activities and in other science research fields.

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