China launches meteorological satellite

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) -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.