China has launched a pair of satellites on a Long March-11 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Designed to conduct multispectral imaging operations, the satellites have already entered their pre-scheduled orbit.

China-based Chang Guang Satellite Technology developed the satellites, which have joined an existing network of ten previously launched Jilin-1 satellites, reported Xinhua.

Each of the newly launched satellites is equipped with a multi-spectral imager and an infrared camera to provide remote sensing data for applications such as forestry, shipping, and resource and environmental monitoring.

“The launch will involve the deployment of 13 of Satellogic satellites into a low-Earth orbit.”

The latest launch represents the 299th mission carried out by a Long March rocket and saw the deployment of two additional test satellites, Lingque-1A and Xiaoxiang-1 03.

Capable of capturing images of Earth, the Lingque-1A is the first verifying satellite of the Lingque Constellation proposed by Beijing ZeroG Technology.

The satellite can also send high-speed data and facilitate inter-satellite communication.

China’s Hunan Province-based Spacety has developed the Xiaoxiang-1 03, which is a technology test satellite designed to verify radio communication and small remote sensing experiments.

In a separate development, China’s state-owned China Great Wall Industry (CGWIC) has signed a multiple launch services agreement (MLA) with Argentinean geospatial analytics company Satellogic for the launch of 90 satellites onboard the Long March rocket.

The first launch of the series is expected to take place later this year from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China.

The launch will involve the deployment of 13 of Satellogic satellites into a low-Earth orbit.