China sends satellite to aid 'smart city'

SHANGHAI - China on Friday sent a satellite into space to aid urban management by monitoring traffic and smog, its designers said.

Pujiang-1 was among four micro-satellites on the carrier rocket Long March-11 that lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Zhang Chunming from Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology said the satellite was designed around the idea of promoting "smart city" construction. It can monitor the weather, traffic and population density of a city.

"For instance, Pujiang-1 can instantly report the location of oil slick should there be a spill on the Huangpu River, Shanghai," Zhang said.

The satellite can also be used to support resources surveys, as well as emergency response and rescue, Zhang added.

Its antenna holder was 3D printed, the first time such a process has been used by China in its satellite production, according to the designers.