SANYA, June 1. /TASS/. China intends to launch four remote Earth-observation satellites Hainan-1 by the end of 2019, according to Yang TianLiang, Director of Sanya Institute of Remote Sensing in Hainan under China’s Academy of Sciences.
"At the end of 2019 we will launch four optical Hainan-1 satellites of the first series," the Hainan Daily newspaper reports. "By 2022, our institute plans to launch six more satellites of high spectral resolution Sanya-1 and synthetic aperture radar satellites Sansha-1," Yang said.
After the successful set up of the satellite constellation, spacecraft will provide observation of the earth's surface to ensure safe navigation and domestic fisheries. Moreover, the satellites can be used for conducting search and rescue operations at sea.
Wenchang, one of China’s four cosmodromes, is located on the Island of Hainan. It is the largest, newest and the southernmost of all of them: the spaceport is located only 19 degrees north of the equator which makes it possible to further increase the payload of the missiles. Another spaceport’s advantage is its coastal location and the availability of convenient bays, which also facilitates the delivery of cargo and heavy launch vehicles.
The spaceport has been under construction for 5 years and was finished in 2014. The first launch was conducted on June 25, 2016. In the future Wenchang will be used for China’s space station module launches and for Lunar exploration.