Successful Launch of CFOSAT to Realize Simultaneous Observation of Sea Wind and Waves for the First Time
A reporter learned from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, China National Space Administration and the Ministry of Natural Resources that, a CFOSAT was launched with a Long March 2C carrier rocket at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) at 8:43 AM of October 29.
CFOSAT, the first satellite jointly developed by China and France, is mainly applied for monitoring of marine dynamic environment. During the development of this satellite, the Chinese side was responsible for providing the satellite bus, loads for wind observation and facilities for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C), and the French side took charge of loads for wave observation. Both sides share detection data to enhance the service in navigation safety, disaster prevention and reduction and investigation of marine resources.
A simultaneous observation of sea wind and waves was realized through CFOSAT for the first time. With the China’s microwave scatterometer and the France’s spectrometer, the satellite operates uninterruptedly for 24 hours per day on an orbit 520 km away from the earth to simultaneously observe the global wind and waves in a large-area and high-precision manner. While helping people understand change rules of the marine dynamic environment more scientifically, the satellite can also improve the precision and time effect in forecast of catastrophic sea conditions such as surges, tropical storms and storm tides.
As an important component of China’s marine observation satellite series, CFOSAT will conjointly operate with the existing HY-1C, HY-2B and other satellites to integrate systematically all detection data, in order that detection means, temporal resolution and spatial resolution of marine observation satellites can be improved and that an all-time and all-weather integrated remote sensing system be formed by utilizing visible light, infrared or microwave remote sensing in a complementary way to enhance China’s ability of multi-dimensional observation.
Based on the satellite platform of Dongfanghong CAST2000 from China Academy of Space Technology, CFOSAT was developed under the leadership of China Spacesat Co., Ltd. China’s ground application system is in the charge of National Satellite Ocean Application Service affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources. It exchanges data with France’s counterpart.
The carrier rocket launched this time, which is the 289th flight of Long March series, carried one scientific and educational satellite by Belorussian State University (BSU) as well as six satellites by domestic units for scientific experiments and technological tests to promote the development of commercial aerospace.