China launches new mapping satellite

China successfully launched a new mapping satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday.

A Long March-4B rocket, carrying the Tianhui-7 (meaning Sky Drawing) satellite, blasted off at 12:12 p.m., and has sent the satellite into the preset orbit.

The satellite, developed by China Academy of Space Technology, will be mainly used for geographic mapping, national land resource surveys and scientific experiments.

Long March-4B is a three-stage liquid-propelled rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is able to launch various types of satellites with different orbital requirements and can perform single or multiple-satellite launch missions.

The rocket has a payload capacity of up to 2.5 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.

This mission marks the final launch of the Long March-4 series for 2025, with a total of seven successful launches throughout the year.

The launch is the 622nd flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.