China launches meteorological satellite

ISTANBUL

China on Saturday launched a new Fengyun meteorological satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province, according to the state-run CGTN news channel.

The Fengyun-3 08 satellite was carried aboard a Long March-4C rocket to orbit at 3.28 am (1928GMT Friday).

The satellite will be largely utilized for weather forecasting, atmospheric chemistry, and climate change monitoring while it operates in a sun-synchronous orbit.

Fengyun-3 08 is equipped with nine remote sensing instruments, including a medium-resolution spectral imager, an infrared hyperspectral atmospheric detector, and a microwave imager, allowing for precise global monitoring of greenhouse gases over a 100-kilometer (62-mile) width.

Together with two other Fengyun satellites, it will form a network that will provide complete global observation coverage.

This new network will reduce the interval for updating weather data for numerical weather forecasting assimilation from 6 to 4 hours, extend the weather forecast timeline by approximately 24 hours, and nearly double disaster monitoring efficiency.

This is the 596th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

ISTANBUL

China on Saturday launched a new Fengyun meteorological satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province, according to the state-run CGTN news channel.

The Fengyun-3 08 satellite was carried aboard a Long March-4C rocket to orbit at 3.28 am (1928GMT Friday).

The satellite will be largely utilized for weather forecasting, atmospheric chemistry, and climate change monitoring while it operates in a sun-synchronous orbit.

Together with two other Fengyun satellites, it will form a network that will provide complete global observation coverage.

This is the 596th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.