HELSINKI — China added to a commercial high-resolution remote sensing constellation early Thursday with the launch of a pair of SuperView Neo-1 satellites.
A Long March 2C rocket lifted off at 2:08 a.m. Eastern, Feb. 27 (0708 UTC) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Insulation tiles fell from the rocket’s upper stage and payload fairing, as planned, as it climbed into a clear blue sky above the spaceport.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success within an hour of liftoff. While the launch was signalled via airspace closure notices, the mission purpose was unknown. The previously undisclosed payloads were revealed by CASC to be the SuperView Neo-1 03 and 04 (Domestically: Siwei Gaojing-1 (03, 04)). The satellites are operated by China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology Co., Ltd., also known as China Siwei, which operates under CASC.
The satellites are part of the “China Siwei New Generation Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite System,” which now has nine satellites in orbit and will grow to a total of 28 spacecraft. CASC describes the satellites as currently having the highest spatial resolution of commercial remote sensing satellites within China.
“These satellites feature ultra-high resolution, high agility, high positioning accuracy, and high-capacity, high-performance data transmission. Their overall performance metrics meet international advanced standards,” the CASC launch statement read.
The satellites provide high-quality data support for precision mapping services and advances China’s high-resolution agile imaging satellite engineering capabilities, effectively serving the global commercial remote sensing satellite market, according to CASC.
The SuperView constellation currently consists of four Neo-1 optical satellites, four Neo-2 SAR satellites, and one Neo-3 ultra-large width satellite. SAR enables all-weather imaging while optical satellites provide high-resolution detail.
The newly-launched satellites were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (SAST), a major arm of CASC’s space operations, while the launcher was provided by CASC’s China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
The previous launch of SuperView Neo satellites saw a pair of high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites sent into orbit in November 2024. All SuperView Neo satellites have been sent into near-polar orbits with altitudes of around 500 kilometers.
The launch was China’s ninth orbital launch attempt of the year. It follows the launch of the ChinaSat-10R communications satellite from Xichang on a Long March 3B rocket Feb. 22, and the debut flight of the Long March 8A rocket Feb. 11. The latter launch carried a second batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites into orbit.
CASC has yet to publish an overview of China’s plans for the year, which is typically published in a “blue book” which provides statistics from the previous year and objectives for the year ahead. A highlight mission for China in 2025 will be the launch of the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sample return and main belt comet rendezvous mission. The spacecraft arrived at Xichang spaceport this month for a launch expected around May.
China may once again attempt to reach around 100 launches—as targeted for 2024—or more. Commercial launch companies headquartered in Beijing are aiming for a collective total of around 40 launches, according to officials at a recent commercial space conference.
China plans to launch the crewed Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions to the Tiangong space station this year, with each mission expected to last around six months. The Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft will also be sent to the Tiangong space station this year, while a pair of new, smaller cargo spacecraft could also fly to Tiangong on new commercial rockets this year.
China also aims to debut a number of new Long March and potentially reusable commercial rockets during 2025, including the Zhuque-3, Nebula-1 and Tianlong-3.