The country’s first real-time remote sensing satellite network is being constructed with superior data transmission capabilities.
This ambitious space plan was revealed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) at the ongoing International Commercial Aerospace Forum in Wuhan, Hubei Province on November 25.
Simulation of China’s real-time remote sensing satellite network. (Photo: CASIC)
The real-time remote sensing network will consist of approximately 100 satellites operating in low Earth orbit, capable of observing the Earth with global coverage, serving various fields such as disaster relief, ecological protection, traffic monitoring, and resource management.
Once completed, the system will take only a few minutes to transmit observation data from space to any area in the world. In the past, this process took hours or even days.
“The network is designed comprehensively with links between satellites, allowing it to continuously monitor an area using multiple satellites and achieve high-frequency observation capabilities, even at the minute level,” said Yuan Hongy, the technical director at CASIC.
In addition to the real-time remote sensing network, CASIC is also preparing to deploy Phase 2 of the Xingyun project, which includes intensive satellite launches for the Internet of Things (IoT) network.
A total of 80 satellites capable of connecting all information nodes or IoT sensors globally will begin launching next year.
After the completion of Phase 2, China will be able to receive satellite communications every 30 minutes, providing users with IoT services and solutions in space with over 10 applications, according to Qian Wei, head of the Xingyun project at Sanjiang Group based in Wuhan.
