China successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite, Gaofen-9 05, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 10:27 a.m. on Sunday (Beijing Time), according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The satellite, sent into orbit by a Long March-2D carrier rocket, is an optical remote-sensing satellite with a resolution up to the sub-meter level.

The satellite will be mainly used for land surveying, city planning, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as providing information for the construction of the Belt and Road.

Other payloads carried on the rocket include a multi-functional experimental satellite and Tiantuo-5, a spacecraft developed by the National University of Defense Technology.

The experimental satellite will have its communication to navigation technology being further tested, while Tiantuo-5 will be used to verify in-orbit information collection capabilities from ships, spacecraft and Internet of Things.

The Sunday mission marks the 343rd flight of the Long March rocket family.