China plans to launch three Fengyun-2 Type 2 (FY-2 02)
meteorological satellites on Long March 3A carrier rockets,
aerospace officials announced on Tuesday in Beijing.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST)
and the China Meteorological
Administration (CMA) signed a contract on the research,
production, launch and operation of the satellites on Tuesday. The
first has already passed inspection and could be in orbit next
month. All three will be launched by 2010 and operational until
2012.
The satellite's remote sensors can observe the earth from an
altitude of 36,000 kilometers. It will be in synchronous orbit over
the equator and will monitor the Asia-Pacific area.
A CAST spokesman who declined to be named said, "The contract,
the first of its kind signed in the field of China's civil space
flight, marks the turn of the industry toward practical satellite
applications instead of only experimental ones."
According to Qin Dahe, the CMA's top official, the biggest
improvement in the FY-2 02 over previous Chinese satellites is its
scan radiometer, with five channels instead of three. The
satellite's resolution and accuracy of observation have also been
substantially enhanced.
Two new infrared observation and visible light channels that
were not included in the experimental models of the FY series have
been added to the second generation.
The additions will enable the new satellite to observe the size
of water drops atop cloud layers around the clock. Monitoring of
the surface temperature of the seas will also be enhanced.
Such functions may help China reduce the effects of natural
disasters and improve its monitoring of weather and climate
changes.
The new satellite also has better access to data of other types
like oceanic, meteorological and hydrological information and can
monitor changes in solar and space particle radiation.
Since 1988, China has launched four polar orbit weather
satellites ones and two earth synchronous orbit satellites. Two are
still operating.
Work on a Fengyun-3 polar orbit satellite is expected to begin
soon, according to Qin.
"China badly needs a stationary satellite like the FY-2 02, with
functions like detecting sandstorms, forest and prairie fires," Qin
said.
(China Daily September 2, 2004)