Shanghai, China - May 15, 2002

China successfully put two satellites into orbit on Wednesday in a boost for its ambitious space and satellite program, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Fengyun 1D weather satellite and Haiyang 1 marine survey satellite were both launched on one Long March 4B rocket, the agency quoted officials as saying.

FENGYUN 1D, the first of five weather satellites that will help provide advanced weather forecasting services during the 2008 summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, has begun transmitting data, Xinhua said.

The satellites, launched from northern Shanxi province’s Taiyuan space center, will also monitor river flooding and the sandstorms that regularly engulf northern China. [Those sandstorms also have a way of creeping into the west coast of North America.]

More ocean satellites will be developed following the successful launch of Haiyang 1 — the country’s first independently designed marine survey satellite, Xinhua added.

AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE
China intends to launch about 10 satellites, rockets and spacecraft this year as the country powers doggedly ahead with its space program, state media has said

From MSNBC.

Marcia