China has launched the Fengyun-4-01 (FY-4-01) next-generation weather satellite from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.
The first of Fengyun 4 geostationary meteorological satellite family by China Meteorological Administration (CMA), FY-4-01 will provide various weather-related services, such as weather forecasting, disaster prevention and reduction, as well as monitoring space weather capabilities.
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The newly launched satellite will also improve China’s ability to address climate change, ecological environment observation and climate resources exploration.
Planned to be placed 36,000km in orbit above Earth at 99.5°E, FY-4-01 will go through several months of in-orbit testing before putting into trial use.
The satellite is equipped with 14 scanning radiation imager channels, doubling the satellite’s temporal resolution capability.
The imagers can also scan the Eastern Hemisphere in every 15min, and produce an image of regional observation every minute at its full speed.
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By GlobalDataThe FY-4-01 is also equipped with four new instruments to capture lightning and provide other weather-related services.
CMA deputy administrator Yu Xinwen said: “FY-4-01 innovatively achieves integrated payload configuration. Such elaborated designation can multiply the function of FY-4-01 while substantially cutting down on the research and development costs.
“Traditionally, the imager and sounder are carried by different satellites to prevent mutual interference. However, FY-4-01 successfully overcame this tough problem in the world and various instruments onboard can peacefully work on the same platform without upsetting each other.
“What’s more, it realises comprehensive observations of atmosphere with various means for the first time in the world.”
The second and third satellites of FY-4 series are planned to be respectively launched by 2018 and 2020.
