Long March-2D launches four Beijing-3C satellites

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched four Beijing-3C satellites (BJ-3C) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, China, on 20 May 2024, at 03:06 UTC (11:06 local time). The Beijing-3C constellation (北京三号C星星座), designed and manufactured by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd, part of Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Pte. Ltd, includes four optical remote sensing satellites that can “achieve 0.5 m resolution colour and 2 m multispectral at an orbital altitude of 500km”. According to official sources, the satellites entered the predetermined orbits and will be used for “land and resources management, survey of agricultural resources, ecological environment monitoring and urban applications”. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)