China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a new meteorological satellite ‘Fengyun-3E (FY-3E)’ aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Called the ‘dawn satellite’, FY-3E is the world’s 1st meteorological satellite for civil service in a dawn-dusk orbit.
- The satellite is equipped with 11 advanced remote sensing payloads and has a lifespan of 8 years. It can obtain data about temperature, humidity, other parameters and will help in improving China’s weather forecast capabilities.
- FY-3E will constellate with FY-3C and FY-3D satellites in orbit, making China the only country in the world which has succeeded in networking meteorological satellites positioned at 3 different trajectories. The networked satellites will help in better prediction of weather in the dawn, morning and afternoon.
- FY-3E is the 377th flight mission of the Long March Carrier rocket series.
What is a Dawn-to-Dusk Orbit?
A dawn-to-dusk orbit is a sun-synchronous orbit in which the satellite tracks but never moves into the Earth’s shadow.
- Since the satellite is close to the shadow, the part of Earth the satellite is directly above is always at sunset or sunrise, giving the orbit its name.
Functions of the Satellite
i.It will monitor the global snow and ice coverage, sea surface temperature, natural disasters, and environment to better respond to climate change and prevent and mitigate extreme weather events.
ii.FY-3E will monitor solar and space environments and their effects on Earth. Additionally, it will also help in collecting ionospheric data to meet the needs of space weather forecasts and supporting services.
iii.The observation data of FY-3E will be made available to the whole world in future to improve the accuracy and efficiency of global numerical weather prediction.
iv.The network of satellites (FY-3E, FY-3C & FY-3D) can scan the globe six times a day, obtain meteorological data within 4 hours, and enhance early weather forecasting time by 12 hours.
Recent Related News:
On 3rd June, China successfully launched FY-4B Meteorological satellite to Earth’s Geostationary Orbit. FY-4B is the 1st of China’s New-Generation Meteorological Satellites
About China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Headquarters – Beijing, China
