HISEA-2 satellite successfully entered its planned orbit Friday and sent back the first set of observation data Saturday, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

Two satellites, namely HISEA-2 and Yangwang-1, were launched by a Long March-2D rocket at 11:03 a.m. Friday in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Both were manufactured by Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Ltd.

The HISEA-2 satellite, an optical remote-sensing satellite, will be used by researchers to study the marine ecological environment of the near shore and shallow sea. The ocean study has scientific value for local economic and social development and disaster mitigation, the Daily report said.

As China’s first optical space telescope, Yangwang-1 satellite’s two cameras are capable of gathering visible and ultraviolet light, which allows Shenzhen-based Origin Space Technology Co. Ltd. to observe near-Earth asteroids and to explore space resources.

HISEA-2 and Yangwang-1 have set a global example for the development and production of small commercial satellites, according to the Daily report.

(Xia Yuanjie)