On December 17, 2024, China successfully launched four PIESAT-2 satellites designated PIESAT-2 09, 10, 11, and 12 aboard a Long March 2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province. This mission marked the 553rd successful launch of the Long March rocket series.
The PIESAT-2 satellites are equipped with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), enabling high-precision mapping of the Earth's surface. These satellites can detect ground movements with centimeter-level accuracy using radar waves.
They are intended for monitoring deformations caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, glacial movements, landslides, and subsidence. The initial group of four PIESAT-1 satellites was launched in March 2023, followed by the previous PIESAT-2 group on November 9, 2024.