At Hours Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 26th March 2026 , China- People’s Republic of China- CNSA –China National Space Administration At 6:51 AM Beijing time on March 26, 2026, China successfully launched the Siwei Gaofen-2 05 and 06 satellites into their predetermined orbits using a Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success. This mission marked the 634th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.
2026🇨🇳/Global Space Launch No. 16/66: 03-26 06:51, TSLC LC-9, CZ-2D Y105, SV Neo 2-05/06, 510km SSO, Launch Successful
The 4D Gaofen-2 05/06 satellite was developed by the 509 Institute of the Eighth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology. It carries advanced payloads such as high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and high-precision inter-satellite relative state measurement equipment. It can provide all-weather, all-day, high-resolution SAR images with a resolution better than 1 meter. It can quickly and efficiently generate global 1:25,000 scale digital surface/elevation model products, radar orthophoto products, deformation monitoring products and services based on time-series radar interferometry.
To ensure high-precision collaborative mapping between the two satellites, the research and development team adopted a “three-synchronization” technology for time, space, and phase, combined with rigorous return orbit design and maintenance techniques. This ensures that the two satellites operate within a precise 200-meter orbit range. Furthermore, they can flexibly switch between orbital and follow-fly formations according to mission requirements, achieving a dual improvement in mapping efficiency and accuracy.
After entering orbit, the satellites will form a “four-satellite, two-group” collaborative network operation mode with the already orbiting 4D Gaofen-2 03 and 04 satellites, creating a leading high-precision commercial microwave mapping satellite system in China. Through the efficient cooperation of the two groups of satellites, imaging capabilities will be significantly enhanced, data acquisition capabilities will double, and the revisit cycle will be halved to 8 days.
In this mission, the Long March 2D rocket test team used a composite material fairing with a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters for the first time, providing the satellite with a larger envelope space; and for the first time, a wireless temperature measurement system for the propellant tank outer wall was officially used, simplifying launch site procedures, further reducing the weight of onboard products, and enabling redundancy and reuse of propellant temperature measurement sensors.
This launch marks the 103rd launch of the Long March 2D rocket, the 261st launch of the Long March series carrier rockets developed by the Eighth Academy, and the 634th launch overall.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
