China Launches Haiyang-2E, Kicking Off Phase II of Ocean Dynamic Environment Constellation
A Long March 4B rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 7:46 a.m. Beijing time on July 2, successfully placing the Haiyang-2E (HY-2E) satellite into its designated orbit. The mission marked the 654th flight of the Long March rocket family and a significant step in China's ocean remote sensing capabilities for 2026.
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) under CASC, HY-2E is a polar-orbiting ocean dynamic environment satellite and part of China's national civil space infrastructure plan. The satellite will succeed HY-2B (launched in 2018) and join the operational HY-2C and HY-2D in orbit, formally commencing Phase II of China's ocean dynamic environment satellite constellation.
HY-2E carries a suite of instruments including a radar altimeter, microwave scatterometer, microwave radiometer, calibration radiometer, Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, and Data Collection System (DCS). Compared with its predecessors, the satellite features upgraded payloads with enhanced observation capabilities in coastal waters. It will provide high-precision, high-resolution real-time measurements of sea surface height, significant wave height, and sea surface wind fields, supporting marine disaster warning, weather forecasting, maritime traffic, ocean resource development, and global climate change research.
The Long March 4B, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), is a three-stage liquid-propellant rocket capable of delivering 2.5 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. This mission faced challenging conditions at Jiuquan, where summer temperatures are high and the environment is dry with strong winds and dust. For the first time, the launch team employed a parallel propellant loading procedure under high-temperature conditions, following multiple rounds of calculations and tests coordinated with the launch site.
This was the 118th flight of the Long March 4 series.