LM-4B Successfully Launches CBERS-2B Satellite

At 11:26 on September 19, 2007, Beijing time, the CBERS-2B China-Brazil earth-resources satellite was successfully launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 4B launch vehicle.

Approximately 12 minutes after lift-off, the satellite separated successfully from the launch vehicle. According to data from the Xi’an Satellite Tracking and Control Center, the CBERS-2B satellite has accurately entered its predetermined sun synchronous orbit with a perigee of 738km, an apogee of 750km and an inclination of 98.5°.

The CBERS satellites have been jointly developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, INPE. The CBERS-2B satellite is a 3-axis stabilised earth-resource satellite with a mass of 1,452kg. The satellite is fitted with equipment including an infrared multi-spectral scanner camera, a high-resolution panchromatic camera, a medium resolution imaging camera, a wide field imager), a space environment monitor system and a data collection & transmission system, which are capable of transmitting real-time visible and multi-spectral images to China, Brazil and other countries and zones. Applications for this image data include agricultural harvest forecasts, environment protection and monitoring, urban planning and land resources surveying.

The CBERS 1 and CBERS 2 satellites were successfully launched in October 1999 and October 2003 respectively. The first is no longer operational, while the second remains in service beyond the end of its design life span.

The Long March 4B launch vehicle used for this mission was developed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a CASC subsidiary. The launch marked the 102th flight of the Long March series, as well as the 60th consecutive successful launch since October 1996.