China to Have Its First Satellite for Atmospheric Environment Monitoring

China's first satellite for carbon dioxide monitoring is expected to be completed and launched in the second half of this year.

Developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Daqi-1 satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit.

Equipped with an atmospheric sounding laser radar (LIDAR), high-precision scanning polarimetry, multi-angle imaging polarimetry, an ultraviolet hyperspectral atmospheric composition detecting instrument and a wide spectral imager, the satellite is capable of monitoring fine particulate matter like PM2.5 and gases including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone, as well as carbon dioxide concentrations.

It's worth mentioning that it will be the first time a LIDAR, which can detect atmospheric aerosol and carbon dioxide, has been included in any satellite payload from around the world.

Daqi-1 is intended to work together with other satellites of its series on greenhouse gases monitoring and contribute to China's goal of carbon emission reduction.

For the past year, Fengyun meteorological satellites, developed by CASC, provided accurate data for weather broadcasting and disaster prevention and reduction, which protected people's lives and property, promoted economic and social development, and contributed to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Fengyun 4B satellite with a fast imager has a measurement resolution of 250 meters and can provide 24/7 high-resolution monitoring, making it a crucial player in nowcasting.

The Fengyun 3E satellite was the fifth member of China's Fengyun-3 series of satellites. It has outstanding performance in accurate and time-efficient imaging and vertical atmosphere observation.

The satellite is expected to be the world's first polar satellite to operate in a dawn-dusk orbit - a type of sun-synchronous orbit, supplementing richer and more accurate observation data of atmospheric information.

Seven Fengyun satellites are operating in space at present and seven others are scheduled to be launched during China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)