A Long March rocket successfully launched four satellites into orbit late Friday, November 8, 2024, to provide commercial X-band radar imaging services. The launch took place at 10:39 p.m. Eastern (0339 UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gobi Desert.
The four satellites, designated PIESAT-2 (Hongtu-2) 01-04, are designed for high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. These satellites will prioritize serving domestic regions, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative, and ultimately aim for global coverage. The U.S. Space Force's space tracking catalog has classified the four satellites in sun-synchronous orbits ranging from 515 to 535 kilometers.
The PIESAT-2 satellites are owned by Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., and were developed by Shanghai Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the state-owned Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology has ambitious plans to establish a constellation of 16 radar satellites, which is expected to be fully operational by March 2025 following two additional launches. The company previously launched four PIESAT-1 satellites in March 2023.
This constellation is part of a growing trend in China, where numerous companies and projects are striving to provide SAR data services. This development often involves partnerships between established state-owned entities and new commercial players.
SAR imaging offers crucial capabilities for high-resolution, all-weather imaging, making it highly valuable for various environmental and infrastructure monitoring applications. Friday's launch was executed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), of which SAST is a subsidiary. The launch was facilitated by CASC's China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a commercial entity authorized by the Chinese government for commercial launch services and space cooperation.
China has achieved its 53rd orbital launch of 2024 with this event. While the country had outlined plans for around 100 launches throughout the year, both state-owned CASC and commercial launch service providers appear to be lagging behind this projected launch rate.
Upcoming launches include the Tianzhou cargo resupply mission to the Tiangong space station, scheduled for a Long March 7 rocket launch from the Wenchang spaceport. Additionally, CAS Space is preparing for the launch of its Lijian-1 (Kinetica-1) solid rocket from Jiuquan.