China deploys Yaogan 45 satellite on Long March 7A rocket

China has successfully launched the Yaogan 45 remote-sensing satellite into orbit aboard a Long March 7A carrier rocket, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. reported. The rocket lifted off at 10 am Tuesday from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province and delivered its payload to the designated orbit.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, Yaogan 45 will support scientific experiments, land resource surveys, agricultural monitoring, and disaster prevention and mitigation. The spacecraft belongs to the Yaogan series, China's principal fleet of remote-sensing satellites, which provide data for both governmental and commercial users.

Remote-sensing satellites operate by detecting reflected and emitted radiation from Earth's surface and oceans. The Yaogan constellation has become a key asset in environmental monitoring, resource management, and emergency response.

The Long March 7A rocket, produced by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, weighs 573 metric tons at liftoff, has a core-stage diameter of 3.35 meters, and can transport up to 7 tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit. This latest flight marked the vehicle's fifth mission.

Overall, the launch represented the 594th flight of the Long March family and the 55th Chinese rocket mission of 2025.