The FY-1C Meteorological Satellite and Its Remote Sensor
Operation in orbit
The FY-1C satellite was launched into the predetermined orbit at 09:45 am on May 10th, 1999,
and the scanning radiometer began to operate at 11:16 am, the ground station received the image
signals from four visible bands, three near infrared bands and one short wavelength infrared band at
once. The radiant cooler began to cool on June 9th after the heating for outgassing for about one
month. On June 10th, the temperature of the cooler's patch reached 105 K, three infrared channels
were switched on, all of ten channels of the scanning radiometer operated. The image data of FY-1C
satellite are being applied in weather forecast, flood monitoring, vegetation index estimation,
observation of ocean chlorophyll and suspended sediment and monitoring of the global weather and
ocean temperature and etc.
Table 2. Main specifications of the
10-channel scanning radiometer
| Parameters | Measured specifications |
| IFOV | 1.26mr |
| Ground resolution of image | 1.1 km |
| Swath width | 3100 km |
| Effective view angle | ±55.4° |
| Scanning rate | 360 rpm |
| Number of detecting channels | 10 |
| Detectors | Si (channels 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10)
HgCdTe (channels 6, operating at room temperature) |
| Cooling method | Radiant cooling, 105 K |
| Detection sensitivity | NED r£3×10-4 (channels 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10)
NED r£1×10 -3 (channel 6)
NEDT£0.27K(channel 3)
NEDT£0.25K(channel 4, 5) |
| Radiation calibration accuracy | Better than 10% for visible and IR channels;
1.0 K for IR channels |
| Data quantization | 10 bit |
| Data rate | 1.3308 Mbps |
| Weight | 53.5 Kg |
| Power consumption | 43.5 W |
Up to now, the FY-1C satellite has been operating normally in orbit for more than four months.
We hope it to continue its stable operation so as to reach its expected lifetime of two years.
In 2001, China will launch its meteorological satellite FY-1D to replace the FY-1C satellite.
