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Long March 4C Launches Earth Monitor — Apr 17 Space News

China’s Long March 4C rocket successfully launched today, carrying an important Earth science mission to monitor our planet’s atmosphere. This marks another milestone for Chinese space launches today as the country continues expanding its environmental monitoring capabilities.

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Long March 4C — Daqi-2 (AEMS)

Agency China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Rocket Long March 4C
Payload Earth Science satellite for atmospheric environment monitoring
Orbit Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Launch Site Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China
Time (UTC) 04:10
Status SUCCESS – Mission completed successfully

The Daqi-2 satellite represents China’s growing commitment to Earth science and climate monitoring. This mission will track greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and study atmospheric aerosol particles that affect air quality and climate change.

This successful launch extends the Long March 4C’s impressive track record to 59 successful missions out of 60 total flights. The rocket has now completed 34 consecutive successful launches, making it one of China’s most reliable launch vehicles for Earth observation missions.

What to Watch For

  • China’s expanding Earth observation capabilities with missions like Daqi-2 helping monitor global climate change
  • The Long March 4C rocket’s continued reliability streak, now at 34 consecutive successful launches
  • Growing international cooperation in space-based environmental monitoring as climate concerns increase worldwide

Today’s rocket launch schedule may be light with just one mission, but it highlights the important role that space launches today play in understanding and protecting our planet. As we continue tracking atmospheric changes and environmental health, missions like Daqi-2 provide critical data for scientists worldwide.

Sources & Credibility

  • 100/100
    Spring Rains Saturate Michigan
    — NASA · Government Agency · Official U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Scoring factors: See domain entry
  • 98/100
    Earth from Space: Land of rainforests
    — ESA · Government Agency · Official European Space Agency — intergovernmental organization of 22 member states

    Scoring factors: Intergovernmental body (+); Peer-reviewed science (+); Official mission data (+); Multi-nation oversight (+)
  • 89/100
    Qingzhou prototype cargo spacecraft completes rendezvous tests in orbit
    — SpaceNews · Space Journalism · Leading space industry trade publication since 1989

    Scoring factors: 35+ year track record (+); Industry-focused editorial staff (+); Primary reporting on policy and contracts (+); Trade publication accountability (+)