简体中文
A Long March carrier rocket carrying Turkish earth observation satellite GK-2 blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, early on Dec. 19, 2012. China successfully sent the satellite GK-2 into orbit with a Long March carrier rocket on Wednesday.(Xinhua/Zhang Meng).
A Turkish Earth observation satellite was successfully sent into space from
northwest China early Wednesday morning, marking the completion of this year's
space launches.
A statement released by the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest
China's Gobi Desert said the Turkish satellite, the GK-2, was launched at 12:13
a.m. and was delivered into its predetermined orbit by a Long March 2D carrier
rocket.
It marked the 174th flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
The launch of the Turkish satellite was based on a contract signed by
the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) under the China Aerospace
Science and Technology Corporation in May 2011.
The CGWIC is an organization authorized by the government to provide
satellite in-orbit delivery, commercial launch services and aerospace technology
applications in China, according to the company's website.
The satellite, jointly developed by Turkey's Space Technologies Research
Institute and Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc., will mainly be used for
environmental protection, mineral resource exploration, urban planning and
disaster monitoring and management, the statement said.
China successfully sent 28 satellites or spacecraft into space via 19
launches this year, it said, adding that the most significant achievement was
the country's first manned space docking maneuvers conducted in June, it said.
Next year, China will carry out a manned space docking test between the
orbiting target module Tiangong-1 and the Shenzhou-10 spacecraft. It will also
send the Chang'e-3 moon probe into space, which is expected to land and stay on
the moon in the second stage of the country's lunar probe program.
The country plans to send nearly 20 satellites into space in 2013, it
said.
