THE launch of Yaogan-41, a high-orbit optical remote sensing satellite, marked China’s 502nd mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
The unmanned rocket named Long March-5 Y6 blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Friday while transporting the high-orbit optical remote sensing satellite Yaogan-41.
The satellite will be used in land survey, environmental management, and comprehensive disaster prevention and reduction, among others.
It was the first time China launched the reusable spacecraft since 2020.
Meanwhile, as China celebrates its landmark success, SpaceX postponed the launch of the U.S. military’s X-37B robot spaceplane earlier this week due to the need to “perform additional system checkouts,” as explained by the company.
China is truly making a huge leap in the global space industry after the East Asian country has achieved notable breakthroughs and completed a series of successful rocket launches in 2023.
China aims to be one of the world’s main aerospace powers by 2030 and become a fully comprehensive space power by 2045 as part of its long-term vision.
