China launches satellite eco-monitors

China’s two environment monitoring satellites launched over the weekend began operating in space today.

The “Environment-1” satellites were launched on Saturday from the Taiyuan satellite launch centre in the northern province of Shanxi.

Equipped with a state-of-the-art imaging system and infrared cameras, the satellites have been put into orbit to monitor climate change and help China’s ability to forecast natural disasters.

It is China’s first attempt to monitor the environment and weather patterns from space.

China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said in a press release today that images from the satellites are clear and provide accurate data.

Five years ago China became just the third country in history to launch astronauts into space. The country plans to build a permanent space laboratory as a centre for space exploration and research, to be completed by 2020.

Head of the US Space Agency (NASA), Michael Griffin, estimates that China could put astronauts on the moon within the next decade.