China launched a new Earth observation satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 3:19 p.m. Wednesday (Beijing Time).

The satellite Gaofen-9 03, sent into orbit by a Long March-2D carrier rocket, is an optical remote-sensing satellite with a resolution up to the sub-meter level.

The satellite will be mainly used for land survey, city planning, land right confirmation, road network design, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as providing information for the construction of the Belt and Road.