An illustration of the Fengyun-3F meteorological satellite. /CMA
The Fengyun-3F meteorological satellite has officially started its operational service on Monday, according to China Meteorological Administration (CMA).
The satellite is the seventh satellite of the Fengyun-3 series and the third sun-synchronous morning orbit satellite of the Fengyun series.
The satellite was launched on August 3, 2023, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It started in-orbit testing on October 23 of the same year.
Equipped with 10 operational instruments, the Fengyun-3F satellite offers full-spectrum, quantitative observations. It not only observes the global atmosphere and surface environment, but also significantly enhances the accuracy of other observation benchmarks including the Earth's radiation balance.
An illustration of the Fengyun-3F meteorological satellite. /CMA
Following its operation, the Fengyun-3F will take over from the Fengyun-3C satellite to conduct comprehensive global land-atmosphere monitoring.
According to CMA, during its in-orbit testing and trial operation phase, the Fengyun-3F satellite demonstrated stable performance and favorable conditions, with smooth progress in testing. It has already played a significant role in monitoring weather events such as the extensive snowfall in late January 2024 in north China.
It has also monitored the strong snowfall in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the heavy rainfall in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.