Gaofen
Gaofen is a series of high-definition Earth-observation network. Credit: Rawpixel Ltd / Nasa / Flickr.

China has launched the second Gaofen 11 satellite on board Long March 4B carrier rocket on 7 September.

The launch follows after the country launched a new experimental reusable space vehicle last week. 

Named Gaofen 11-02, the newest satellite is an optical remote-sensing satellite. It has been developed and built by the China Academy of Space Technology. 

The rocket launched from the LC9 Launch Complex at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province. 

The launch is the 345th flight of the Long March rocket family. It also marks the third mission of the Long March 4 series in 2020. 

Capable of delivering ground image resolution up to the sub-metre level, the remote-sensing satellite provides images and data for operations such as land census, urban construction planning, crop estimation, as well as disaster prevention and relief.

In a separate development, China Aerospace Science and Industry (CASIC) revealed plans to put 12 Xingyun 2-series satellites in orbit next year.

They will complement the first two Xingyun 2-01 and Xingyun 2-02 spacecraft already in orbit. 

Last month, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a new Earth observation satellite Gaofen-9 (05). 

It lifted off the Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-west China.  

In June, China launched the last satellite in its BeiDou navigation system from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province.