Fengyun-3E meteorological satellite was successfully lifted off Source: CCTV News

On 7:28 a.m. 5 July (BJT), 2021, Fengyun-3E meteorological satellite (hereafter referred to as FY-3E satellite) was successfully lifted off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu province. It is the first early morning orbit meteorological satellite for civil use in the world.

FY-3E satellite will fill in the vacancy of global early morning orbit observing, joining Chinese FY-3C and FY-3D satellite to realize coverage of early morning, morning and afternoon orbits. They will provide global data coverage for numerical weather prediction (NWP) at 6-hour interval, and effectively ramp up  global NWP accuracy and time efficiency, bearing vital significance to improving global earth observing system.

FY-3E satellite is equipped with multiple sophisticated instruments, boasting 11 payloads. Among them, there are 3 brand new developed instruments , and 7 upgraded instruments.

FY-3E satellite will find wide application in a few fields, such as NWP, climate research, and space weather monitoring. It is expected to better help disaster preparedness.

FY-3E satellite can realize the monitoring of a wide range of factors, like three-dimensonal atmosphere, ocean surface wind fields, glimmer at night, the Sun, and the ionosphere. It will enhance monitoring and analysis capacity of weather and climate, atmospheric environment, and space weather.

So far, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has launched 19 Fengyun meteorological satellites, with 9 of them in orbit, forming a well-developed networking observation of polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites. 

Mr. Zhuang Guotai, Administrator of CMA says that the launch of FY-3E satellite marks a milestone in China’s meteorological modernization. He calls to make strenous efforts to conduct in-orbit testing, and promote the application of FY-3E satellite as soon as possible.

Prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) comments that the launch of the FY-3E satellite will fill a critical gap in the space-based observing system. And with the advent of FY-3E satellite, China Meteorological Organization will become the third pillar in the global meteorological polar-orbiting constellation.

Philip Evans, Director-General of European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) says that FY-3E satellite will make new contributions to realize WIGOS Vision 2040 of WMO, and have direct positive impacts on global Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP).

Editor: Liu Shuqiao