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August 11, 2016

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Gaofen-3 satellite offers new world view

Source: Xinhua | August 11, 2016, Thursday | Print Edition

CHINA launched a new high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province yesterday.

The Gaofen-3 satellite was launched from the back of a Long March 4C rocket at 6:55am, according to the center. It was the 233rd flight mission completed by a Long March carrier rocket.

China’s first SAR imaging satellite provides a global all-weather, 24-hour observation service and will be used for weather forecasting, disaster monitoring, water resource assessments, and the protection of maritime rights.

Compared with optical imaging satellites, Gaofen-3 will perform better at disaster monitoring because it is capable of operating in severe weather conditions due to its use of microwave transmission.

“The launch of Gaofen-3 is expected to reduce dependence on data provided by foreign microwave imaging satellites,” said Jiang Xingwei, deputy chief engineer of the Gaofen satellite application system.

With 12 imaging modes, Gaofen-3 is the strongest performer in the SAR imaging satellite family.

The high-definition observation satellite is capable of switching freely between various imaging modes, taking wide pictures of both land and water bodies, and detailed photographs of specific areas.

According to Yu Weidong, deputy chief engineer of the Gaofen-3 satellite system payload, its spatial resolution ranges from 1 meter to 500 meters and its broadest viewing spectrum is about 650 kilometers. With a 1-meter resolution, Gaofen-3 can provide clear images of all roads, buildings and boats.

Gaofen-3 is also China’s first low-orbit remote-sensing satellite to have a lifespan of eight years, longer than the other satellites built in China, which run for just three to five years, and that of foreign-made models that last six to seven-and-a-half years.

The new satellite is able to provide high-definition remote-sensing data over long periods of time.

Since the inception of the Gaofen project in 2013, China has had an increasingly clear view of the planet.

Launched in April 2013, Gaofen-1 can cover the globe in just four days.

The Gaofen-3 and the Long March 4C rocket were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, under the guidance of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

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