(6.6 Second Edition, Manuscript 1) [Belt and Road Initiative H Star] Its small step makes the ＂big family＂ safer
"Three, two, one, ignite!"
On the evening of June 5, Fengyun-2 H satellite (hereinafter referred to as H satellite) was successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
As the last star of Fengyun-2, it not only has more stable performance, but also moved its fixed position for the first time, focusing on providing scientific and technological support for weather forecasting, disaster prevention and mitigation in western China and countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative". Although it is only a small movement, the new coverage adds a sense of security to the "big family" of the world.
Fixed-point position moved westward 7.5 ° coverage area extension
Before the launch of the H satellite, our country has successfully launched 16 Fengyun series meteorological satellites, forming a national satellite remote sensing application system composed of national data processing and service centers as the main body, 31 provincial satellite remote sensing application centers and more than 2,500 satellite data receiving and utilization stations. It has reached the advanced level of similar foreign satellites. It has been included in the international meteorological operational satellite sequence by the World Meteorological Organization and has become an important member of the global integrated earth observation system. It is providing satellite data and products for more than 80 countries and regions and more than 2,500 domestic users.
Photo by National Satellite Meteorological Center
What is special about Star H as the final work of Fengyun-2?
It is understood that our country has moved the observation fixed point of the H star from 86.5 ° east longitude to 79 ° east longitude, that is, above the equator of the same longitude as Kashgar, Xinjiang, our country, so that the observation range can be effectively covered on the basis of the whole territory of our country, extending to the countries along the "Belt and Initiative Road", the Indian Ocean and most African countries, real-time acquisition of visible light, infrared cloud map, water vapor distribution map and other meteorological data in these areas, and provide services for them. At the same time, it can also collect and forward meteorological, oceanographic, and hydrological environmental monitoring data, broadcast digital broadening cloud images, and combine the three FY-2 satellites in orbit (E, F, and G satellites) to closely monitor changes in weather systems at different time and space scales.
Providing meteorological information for countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative"
According to the statistics of the international disaster database, countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" have many mountains, deserts, oceans and other no-man’s land, lack of meteorological data, serious natural disasters, relative disaster losses are more than twice the global average, and most of them are meteorological disasters. To this end, the World Meteorological Organization and the Asia-Pacific Space Organization have put forward a request to our country, hoping that China can deploy the newly launched Fengyun-2H satellite fixed-point location to the west and expand the monitoring range of Fengyun series geostationary orbit meteorological satellites.
After this request was put forward, experts from various fields demonstrated that it was feasible in terms of technology and other aspects. Subsequently, during the main event of the 4th China Space Day, the National Defense Science and Industry Administration, the China Meteorological Administration and the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization signed a letter of intent for Fengyun Meteorological Satellite Application Cooperation, formally confirming that the fixed-point position of the H satellite will be moved westward by 7.5 °. In this way, it can provide countries and regions in West Asia, Central Asia, Africa and Europe with good observation perspectives and customized high-frequency regional observations, providing timely information assurance for climate change response, disaster prevention, mitigation and relief.
The location of the fixed point to the west is of great significance for the countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" to solve the acquisition and application of geostationary orbit meteorological satellite data. At the same time, this move further optimizes the orbit layout of Fengyun series meteorological satellites, better covers the upstream areas of our country’s weather system, and improves our country’s weather forecast accuracy and ability to cope with climate change.
Intimate service, practice the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind
After four months of on-orbit testing, Star H will officially enter service.
At that time, our country will provide free satellite data and products to countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" and APSCO member states. At the same time, our country will upgrade the China Meteorological Administration Satellite Broadcasting System (CMACAST) receiving station for free, and provide application technology training.
The service doesn’t stop there. When abnormal weather occurs in countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" – typhoons, rainstorms, strong convection, forest grassland fires, sandstorms and other disasters, you can apply for encrypted observation. After receiving the application, our country will provide 5 to 6 minutes of high-frequency observation, so that the local area can obtain Fengyun satellite high-frequency cloud images and related quantitative products as soon as possible, providing timely information protection for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief.
The launch of the H satellite is the first time that our country has shifted the observation center westward, but this is not the starting point of the countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" of our country’s meteorological services. In August 2017, the Fengyun-2E satellite caught signs of heavy precipitation in Pakistan in advance, and the meteorological warning was issued in time to avoid casualties. During the "April 25" earthquake in Nepal in 2015, the Fengyun series of meteorological satellite data became an important guarantee for earthquake relief in the country within 24 hours after the earthquake.
A flower alone is not spring, but a hundred flowers bloom in a garden full of spring. Since the "Belt and Road Initiative" initiative gradually entered the world’s vision in 2013, the concept of connectivity has spread all over the world and has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. H Star’s strengthening of meteorological observations of countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" not only responds to the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization, such as hoping that China will strengthen satellite observations of the Indian Ocean region, avoid future gaps in geostationary orbit meteorological satellite monitoring in the region, and help countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" to improve disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. It also reflects China’s important contribution to the international community as a large developing country, and further enhances the international status and influence of China’s aerospace and meteorological undertakings. (Ye Shanshan)
(Source: "China Meteorological News" June 6, 2018 Second Edition, Editor-in-Charge: Wang Meili)