China launches hyperspectral satellites, serving global partners

Two hyperspectral satellites were successfully launched from Haiyang, Shandong Province, at 10:38 a.m. Beijing Time on August 5. It marked the 12th flight of the Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket.

The satellites will primarily be used to monitor water quality, vegetation and crops and mineral resources, serving industries including agriculture, forestry, grassland, water resources and mining.

The satellites will also enable full-cycle monitoring of Uzbekistan's cotton industry and support other applications. In addition, they will help safeguard agricultural production and food security in Indonesia. 

According to the Chinese AI satellite company STAR.VISION, the mission will support the digital economy and cross-border trade across all ten ASEAN countries.

The company added that the satellites combine multi-band hyperspectral imaging with onboard edge artificial intelligence to deliver fast Earth observation insights to global partners.

According to the Uzbek space agency Uzcosmos, the launch is part of a memorandum of cooperation covering satellite technology development, joint project implementation, and stronger scientific and technical integration.