China launched a new satellite, designed to improve the country's early warning capabilities for natural disasters by monitoring the Earth's electromagnetic environment. Satellite, developed in partnership with Italy, launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome in the Gobi Desert.
The Zhangheng 1B spacecraft entered the planned orbit. This is China's first satellite, specially designed for studying geophysical fields from space, what, as expected, will greatly improve China's integrated space-air-ground disaster response network.
The launch is due to a cooperation agreement 2019 year between China and Italy. Zhangheng 1B carries nine scientific instruments, including a jointly developed electric field detector and a high -energy particle sensor, Built in Italy. Scheduled Lifetime - Six years, It will monitor electromagnetic phenomena, related to the natural events and human activity, including the behavior of ionosphere and atmosphere.
The satellite will provide key measurements of electromagnetic waves and fields, which can signal seismic activity. It will also analyze atmospheric structures, By facilitating early warning of extreme weather phenomena.
The new satellite complements Zhangheng 1a, Chinese-Italian satellite 2018 year, which is still working. The two satellites will now operate in parallel in the same orbital plane, providing more detailed and more frequent measurements.
Zhangheng 1b will be mainly operated by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of China. In addition to monitoring earthquakes and storms, It is also designed to support emergency response, Research of natural resources, navigation systems and cooperation as part of the Bel and Way initiative.
Zhangheng 1A, which was launched in 2018 year, Includes six devices, aimed at tracking electromagnetic signals, related to seismic events. Updated 1b model expands this inheritance due to modern useful load and wider measurement capabilities.
Source: https://www.spacedaily.com