Fengyun

Model of Fengyun-2 satellite

Fēngyún (traditional Chinese: 風雲; simplified Chinese: 风云; literally: "wind cloud"), abbreviated FY, are China's weather satellites. China has launched polar orbit and geosynchronous orbit meteorological satellites since 1988. On January 11, 2007 China destroyed one of these satellites (FY-1C) in a test of an anti-satellite missile.

The satellites in the FY-1 series are polar-orbiting sun-synchronous orbits. The satellites in the FY-2 series are in geosynchronous orbit.

Meteorological satellites also important in oceanography, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, aviation, navigation, environmental protection and national defense. They contribute to the national economy and to preventing and mitigating disasters. The latest satellites monitor bad weather around the clock, particularly convective rainstorms, thunderstorms and hailstorms. They also monitor developing sandstorms as well as air quality and provide early warnings.

According to NASA, the intentional destruction of FY-1C created 2,841 high-velocity debris items, a larger amount of dangerous space junk than any other space mission in history.[1]

Two cyclones in the Indian Ocean taken by FY-2E

Current and previous satellites

Launch date Satellites Vehicle Orbit In use resolution height diameter
1988-09-07 FY-1A CZ-4 SSO No 1.08 km 1.2 meter 1.4 meter
1990-09-03 FY-1B CZ-4 SSO No 1.08 km 1.8 meter 1.4 meter
1997-06-10 12:01:00 FY-2A CZ-3 GEO 105°E No 1.25 km 4.5 meter 2.1 meter
1999-05-10 01:33:00 FY-1C CZ-4 SSO Destroyed in 2007 [2]
2000-06-25 11:50:00 FY-2B CZ-3 GEO 105°E No 1.25 km 4.5 meter 2.1 meter
2002-05-15 01:50:00 FY-1D CZ-4B SSO Yes 1.08 km 1.8 meter 1.4 meter
2004-10-19 01:20:04 FY-2C CZ-3A GEO 105°E No[3] 1.25 km 4.5 meter 2.1 meter
2006-12-08 00:53:22 FY-2D CZ-3A GEO 86.5°E Yes 1.25 km 4.5 meter 2.1 meter
2008-05-27 03:02:33 FY-3A CZ-4C SSO Yes 250 meter 4 m x 2 m 2 meter
2008-12-23 00:54:04 FY-2E CZ-3A GEO 86.5°E[4] Yes 1.25 km 4.5 meter 2.1 meter
2010-11-04 18:37:12 FY-3B CZ-4C SSO Under Preparation 250 meter 4 m x 2 m 2 meter
2012-01-13 00:56:04 FY-2F CZ-3A GEO 123.5°E[5] Yes
2013-09-23 03:07:00 FY-3C CZ-4C SSO[6]
2014-12-31 FY-2G GEO 105°E[7] Yes

Planned satellites

The newer FY-3 series is an improved generation of polar orbiting heliosynchronous weather satellites. The FY-4 series is an improved generation of geosynchronous meteorological satellites.

See also

References

  1. ↑ NASA identifies Top Ten space junk missions; Michael Cooney, NetworkWorld, 28 July 2010
  2. ↑ "Concern over China's missile test". BBC News. 2007-01-19.
  3. ↑ Hong Kong Observatory
  4. ↑ "FY-2E". National Satellite Meteorological Center of CMA (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "National Satellite Meteorological Center of CMA" (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Barbosa, Rui C. (22 September 2013). "Chinese Long March 4C launches third Fengyun-3 satellite". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 6 June 2015. Launch took place at 03:07UTC from the LC9 Launch Complex of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province.
  7. ↑ National Satellite Meteorological Center of CMA (in Chinese) http://www.nsmc.cma.gov.cn/NSMC/Channels/100375.html. Retrieved 23 December 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, December 23, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.