Satellite observing Arctic region thrusts into action
Print Edition
China鈥檚 first polar-observing satellite has started its Arctic observation mission after orbiting Earth for nine months, sources from its operations team said yesterday.
The mission will test the observation capabilities of the satellite, which is expected to achieve full coverage of the Arctic in seven days, said operations team leader Chen Zhuoqi, who is also an associate professor at the School of Geospatial Engineering and Science under the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province.
Since its launch on September 12, 2019, the satellite, called 鈥淚ce Pathfinder,鈥 has completed its Antarctic observation mission, sending back more than 1,000 images covering the southern polar region.
After more than one month of in-orbit debugging and testing, the satellite platforms and sensors are in good operating condition. The first batch of Arctic data has been processed, said Cheng Xiao, lead scientist of the satellite project and professor at the Sun Yat-Sen University.
The polar-observing satellite was developed by scientists at Beijing Normal University and Sun Yat-Sen University. It was designed to provide coverage between 85 degrees north and south latitudes.
Wider observation range
Major satellites such as the US Landsat series that monitor the Earth鈥檚 resources can cover areas between 82.5 degrees north and south latitudes.
鈥淚t means China鈥檚 polar-observing satellite has wider coverage and can help rectify the lack of polar region observation data,鈥 Cheng said.
In the past, Chinese scientists conducted polar studies based mainly on data collected by vessels and research stations. The use of remote sensing satellite technology will enable them to monitor and obtain imagery and data of difficult-to-access areas.
To further improve the country鈥檚 polar observation capability, Cheng鈥檚 team, together with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a state-owned satellite and rocket maker, has proposed a new plan to develop a mini synthetic-aperture-radar satellite for polar regions.
Meanwhile, China鈥檚 newly launched ocean observation satellite has sent back its first batch of remote sensing images, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The HY-1D satellite and its payloads, which include an ocean color and temperature scanner as well as a calibration spectrometer, have begun normal operations.
The National Satellite Ocean Application Service鈥檚 three ground stations in Hainan Province, Beijing and Heilongjiang Province successfully received remote sensing data from the satellite on Sunday. The data reception at the ground station has met design requirements, and the processed, remote sensing images can reflect data on oceans, coastal areas and lakes. The HY-1D satellite was launched into space June 11. It is China鈥檚 fourth remote-sensing satellite for ocean observation.
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