At 02:37am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, November 5, 2010, the carrier rocket CZ-4C lifted off to send FY-3B satellite into predetermined orbit. The launching process is completely successful. FY-3B is the second testing spacecraft in the new series of China's polar-orbiting meteo- rological satellite: FY-3s. FY-3B takes up an afternoon orbit and shall join the FY-3A, which is flying in a morning orbit, to form the polar-orbiting satellite constellation of CMA. The deployment of FY-3B is expected to improve the monitoring of the earth's weather and environment, for example, the time needed for the globe-covering observa- tion image is 6 hours by the two satellites now -- a significant reduction from 12 hours using only the FY-3A before. At present, all 11 instrument payloads have been successfully switched on for the com- missioning test of FY-3B being conducted at NSMC/CMA. (Yu Jianrui, edited by Luo Dongfeng).
