The Ziyuan III satellite, launched on January 9 to produce high-resolution imagery for civilian use, has sent back visual data covering 45.79 million square km of the globe as of May 18, according to an announcement on Wednesday.

A statement released by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation said the satellite marked a breakthrough in the country's space mapping drive with many of its technical standards higher than similar satellites produced by other countries.

The data it has sent back covers more than 9.32 million square km of China's territory.

The administration has made hi-res imagery based on analysis of the data and posted it on tianditu.cn, a map website with independent intellectual property rights. The data has also been used in basic mapping, land-resource surveys, aviation management and natural-disaster prevention in several Chinese regions.

The statement also revealed that the feasibility of a mark-two Ziyuan III satellite is now being researched. The orbiter, once successfully launched, may realize the collection of real-time data on any given point on the earth with the cooperation of Ziyuan III and other satellites.

According to the statement, Ziyuan III is currently collecting visual data on various islands in the South China Sea.

Also on Wednesday, the administration announced that a national geographical conditions monitoring database will be built by the end of 2015 to use remote-sensing, satellite mapping and other high technology.

It is hoped that the database will enable the collection of real-time information and analysis on geological features, traffic networks, land utilization and coverage, as well as other aspects.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2012)