BEIJING- China has greatly improved its ability to observe the Earth from space with a series of high-resolution remote sensing satellites sent into orbit over the past nine years, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The satellites, belonging to China’s high-resolution Earth observation project (Gaofen project) initiated in 2010, have formed a stable satellite remote sensing system, said Tong Xudong, chief designer of the project. The project has increased the resolution of China’s low-earth orbit remote sensing satellites from 2.1 meters to 0.65 meter, and the resolution of China’s geostationary orbit remote sensing satellites improved from kilometer-level to 50 meters, Tong said.
The satellites, covering different observation bands, are deployed in different orbits, giving China a preliminary ability for all-weather and round-the-clock observation, said Tong. Launched on April 26, 2013, Gaofen-1 can cover the globe in four days, with an observation ability of medium resolution and wide coverage.
Gaofen-2, sent into space on August 19, 2014, has two cameras with a resolution less than one meter, boosting China’s civil-use remote sensing satellite to sub-meter level.