China successfully launched its first Haiyang-3 ocean observation satellite on Wednesday. The satellite, named Haiyang-3 (01), was launched aboard a Long March 2C rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Haiyang-3 (01) will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit and will provide all-weather ocean observation using an X-band SAR payload. The satellite is designed to target various water bodies around the world using multiple detection methods, providing insights into environmental and biological processes. It will monitor water color, water temperature, sea ice, and other variables to deliver remote sensing information.

The Haiyang-3 series will complement the Haiyang-2 satellites, which focus on variables such as wind speed, sea level, and sea surface temperature. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the satellite will be operated by China’s National Satellite Ocean Application Service.

Ocean monitoring satellites play a crucial role in weather modeling, climate change monitoring, tracking pollution, and ensuring marine navigation and safety. They provide valuable data for forecasting and monitoring purposes.

This launch marks China’s 53rd orbital launch of the year, as part of their goal to complete over 60 launches. So far, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has completed 39 launches.

In other news, commercial launch service provider Galactic Energy announced that it would soon resume launches of its Ceres-1 solid rocket. The company experienced its first failure in late September but has since conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and released its findings. The failure was attributed to abnormal ablation of a first stage engine nozzle, causing the rocket to lose attitude control. Galactic Energy aims to bounce back from this setback after a successful string of nine consecutive launches.