Launching from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in Northern China, at 0412 GMT, on 7 December 2018, a SAST (Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology) Long March-2D (CZ-2D) rocket lifted-off to LEO (Low Earth Orbit) for CGWIC (China Great Wall Industry Corporation). The rocket was carrying two satellites for Saudi Arabia and 10 co-payloads from different Chinese organisations.
Launch of the Long March-2D rocket lifting-off from Jiuquan. Courtesy of YouTube
The two primary payloads were the SAUDISAT 5A/B units. These spacecraft are 425 kg, Earth Observation units built by KACST (King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology), Saudi Arabia, they will replace the earlier missions SAUDISAT 2 and 3 in-orbit.
