BEIJING, Dec. 30 (China Space News) — China launched the Gaofen project in May 2010 and has listed it as one of the 16 most important national projects in science and technology.

The Gaofen-3 and Gaofen-5 missions are due next year, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

The first in the system, Gaofen-1, was sent into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in April 2013.

The administration said that images obtained by the spacecraft can be used in agriculture, forest monitor, disaster prevention, land and water resources management and oceanic survey.