On November 13th, 2024, a Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The payload was the first Haiyang-4 satellite, which will, among other duties, collect data on global ocean salinity, ocean dynamics, and other environmental factors, contributing to marine environmental and ecological forecasting, water cycle monitoring, and climate change research. The satellite was placed into a 633 by 644-kilometer orbit. Chinese space authorities announced the success of the launch shortly thereafter.