China has successfully launched a cutting-edge seismo-electromagnetic satellite early Saturday morning in a mission aimed at enhancing early warning systems for natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The satellite, named China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite-2 (CSES-2) or Zhangheng-2, lifted off aboard a Long March 2D rocket at 3:56 a.m. Eastern (0756 UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
A Long March 2D rocket lifts off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, trailing bright yellow-orange exhaust against a clear blue sky, carrying the CSES-2 (Zhangheng-2) satellite on June 14, 2025 Credit: CNSA
Developed under the auspices of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the mission marks the continuation of an international scientific collaboration first initiated with the launch of CSES-1 in 2018. Within 40 minutes of liftoff, CASC confirmed the successful deployment of the satellite into orbit.
Named after the Han dynasty polymath Zhang Heng, CSES-2 builds upon its predecessor with a longer six-year design life and upgraded observational instruments. Among the satellite’s nine payloads are several joint developments: an electric field detector co-developed by China and Italy, a high-energy particle detector built in Italy, and a scalar magnetometer provided by Austria’s Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IWF).
A key enhancement is the inclusion of a new ionospheric photometer, which will enable more detailed studies of the ionosphere's layered structure. Like its predecessor, CSES-2 is designed to investigate possible correlations between seismic activity and disturbances in the Earth's electromagnetic field, particularly variations in electron flux in the inner Van Allen belt.
According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the satellite will monitor electromagnetic fields, ionospheric and atmospheric conditions, and detect anomalies associated with both natural phenomena and human activity. These include not only earthquakes but also volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, thunderstorms, lightning, and severe weather events.
CSES-2 is positioned in a 507-kilometer-altitude sun-synchronous orbit, mirroring the path of CSES-1 but phased 180 degrees apart for complementary data collection. The U.S. Space Force has since cataloged the spacecraft, confirming its orbital parameters.
The satellite is built on the CAST2000 platform, a 3-axis-stabilized bus developed by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd., under CASC. Its mission continues the promising findings of CSES-1, which identified pre-earthquake indicators such as electric and magnetic field oscillations, plasma anomalies, and ionospheric disturbances. These observations, recently published in Earthquake Research Advances, support the growing belief that space-based electromagnetic monitoring could significantly enhance global early warning and disaster mitigation systems.
Saturday’s launch marks China’s 34th orbital mission of 2025, following a June 5 flight that deployed five satellites for the Guowang broadband constellation via a Long March 6A rocket.
With Zhangheng-2 now in orbit, scientists worldwide will continue to refine methods for predicting natural disasters—potentially offering more time to prepare and save lives.
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