China Launches ‘Zhangheng 1‑02’ Satellite to Boost Natural‑Disaster Early Warning Systems.
Science and Technology
On 14 June 2025, China successfully launched Zhangheng 1‑02, an electromagnetic monitoring satellite, aboard a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Crafted in collaboration with Italy, the satellite enhances China’s space-air-ground integrated approach for tracking geological and atmospheric risks.
- Zhangheng 1‑02, also known as CSES‑02 (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite‑02), operates in a Sun-synchronous orbit with a 6-year lifespan. It carries nine scientific payloads, including Chinese-Italian electric field detectors and high-energy particle sensors from Italy.
- The satellite performs quasi–real-time detection of global electromagnetic fields, ionospheric status, and the neutral atmosphere. It captures aberrations due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, extreme weather, lightning, and space weather events.
- Data from Zhangheng 1‑02 aids scientists in correlating physical-field anomalies with geological events, bolstering earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic eruption prediction. It sharpens China’s early-warning, risk assessment, and emergency response systems.
Main Point :- (i) Paired with Zhangheng 1‑01 (launched in 2018), this new satellite enables synchronized observations, improving horizontal spatial and temporal resolution—leading to more accurate mapping of ionospheric and electromagnetic disruptions.
(ii) The joint mission deepens Sino–Italian collaboration in payload development, data exchange, and research. Italian scientists praised the mission as a milestone that mirrors Matteo Ricci’s historic East–West cultural exchange.
(iii) Marking China’s 581st Long March launch, the satellite signals Beijing’s commitment to resilient infrastructure under its civil-space roadmap. It supports global disaster management, Belt and Road partners, and secures telecommunications and navigation networks, while setting the stage for a future satellite constellation.
About China
President: Xi Jinping
Capital: Beijing
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